Cyber Attacks Affect More Than Computers
Whenever we discuss information breaches, we think in a small scale. Home computers fending against a hacker pinging a port to see if is unprotected, or spam mail trying to inform us we won millions in a foreign lottery, or some long lost, distant relative with a name we can’t pronounce, in a country we never heard of, left us a nine figure inheritance. Or we imagine the company who took some measures and audits to protect themselves from exterior threats, but forgot about insider threats in the form of skimming, embezzlement or employee theft. There is a larger scale of intrusion we never think of. The public services and utilities we utilize on a daily basis.
A recent report from NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) revealed cyber attacks, along with electromagnetic activities are eminent encroachments that could prove a costly risk to Canadian and American power stations and grids. Within the report, named ‘High-Impact, Low-Frequency Risk to the North American Bulk Power System’, it notes, "The specific problems is the targeting of many key nodes in the system, if any of it is damaged, destroyed or brought down it could bring the entire system down.”
The report continues to inform us a combination of a cyber attack and a physical intrusion is a very high level of threat they must be prepared to withstand. The president and chief executive officer of NERC gave his opinion, that the electric power infrastructure weathers thousands of attempts each and every day. He also says there has been wary, mistrustful actions occurring around their control systems. The next statement gives a chilling account of the possibilities that can happen. "A very smart hacker could begin an attack that would change assets, bringing false information to the system."
This is where a certified information security professional is needed. CISSP CBT training gives the individual the knowledge, expertise, and the skills to assist in protecting local and global areas where cyber threats and intrusion can occur. A CISSP certified professional is trained in the ISC2 security methodology. CISSP also dissects the training into the areas of architecture, engineering, and management. As the threat of terrorism and security continue to loom overhead, security awareness needs to become a major concern on all levels of data security. We fail to realize how dependent we have become on computers, networks, and related systems that either contain our data, or are employed to operate, manage, and troubleshoot the services we take for granted.
Not only is the electrical grid an important resource, the water works, rail and transportation systems, our food supply, in many cases the air we breathe, and creature comforts are all administered by some sort of computer derived system. What happens if a large scale disease attacks the populace and our healthcare and medical infrastructure is compromised? We need more able bodies professionals to become CISSP certified, utilizing sources consisting of K Alliance and other providers of leading online training solutions.
The report continues to state tenets that every enterprise should embrace, realizing preventative action needs to be put into action, as well as preparing for recognition of a threat and knowing what to do should it happen. Our nation’s utilities have performed very little in the way of putting the necessary, adaptable cyber security in place. One thought or idea is to have a person who would act as a security director at the plant locations who would have direct communication with the government on topics of grave matters.
Doesn’t this sound like a position for a certified CISSP information security professional?
About Us: Training Click issues the best in CBT training courses, IT boot camps, and online training courses. The catalog of Training Click boasts a wide collection of software courses including information security certification training, Microsoft Office 2010 courses, Windows 7 training, PMP project management training, and more. Entire enterprise training solutions deliver a huge library of interactive IT information, courseware, and tutorials designed to improve the knowledge and productivity of your infrastructure, including remote locations. Embrace the training and technology of Training Click and enhance your staff today.