Instructor: In this lesson,
we will learn about
commercial and government challenges.
Commercial and government challenges
include securing sensitive operations and data
in sectors like manufacturing,
finance, and government, or defense
against sophisticated threats and vulnerabilities.
In manufacturing,
protecting industrial control systems or ICS
and intellectual property from cyber attack helps
to maintain operational continuity
and competitive advantage.
In the financial sector,
challenges in securing transaction systems, customer data,
and ensuring regulatory compliance
protect against fraud and data breaches.
In the government and defense sector,
classified information, critical infrastructure,
and military operations must be safe
from state sponsored cyber attack and espionage.
Let's learn more about commercial and government challenges
to the manufacturing, financial,
and government defense sectors.
First, we have the manufacturing sector.
In the manufacturing sector,
protecting industrial control systems
or ICS is critical.
Industrial control systems, control machines,
robotics, and other equipment
that are central to the production process
and attack on these systems
could disrupt the entire supply chain and halt operations.
So manufacturers must ensure
that both the operational technology
and information technology that they use
are secured to maintain business continuity.
An example of an attack in the manufacturing sector
is the 2019 attack, a Norsk Hydro,
a global aluminum producer.
Norsk Hydro, was hit
by the LockerGoga ransomware,
which forced the company
to switch to manual operations at several plants.
The ransomware encrypted critical files
across their network,
disrupting both administrative and production systems.
So employees had to use handwritten notes
to maintain operations,
severely slowing down production.
This disruption affected the company's
entire production process,
including aluminum rolling plants
and extrusion operations,
and it resulted in significant financial losses,
estimated to be over $40 million.
This attack demonstrates the vulnerabilities
within manufacturing operations
and the need to secure industrial systems
against ransomware attack.
Intellectual property is another concern for manufacturers.
Intellectual property includes product designs,
trade secrets, and proprietary processes.
If stolen through an attack,
this information can be sold
to competitors eroding a company's competitive advantage.
So to safeguard intellectual property,
manufacturers deploy strong encryption methods
and access controls.
For example, in 2014,
the US Steel Corporation was targeted by cyber espionage,
allegedly carried out by Chinese state sponsored hackers,
aiming to steal proprietary information.
The hackers were accused of attempting
to access trade secrets
related to US steel's production, innovations,
and manufacturing techniques,
potentially providing Chinese competitors
with an unfair advantage
in the global steel market.
Finally, manufacturers also face the challenge
of securing the growing number of connected devices
and sensors in their factories.
With the rise of the Internet of things in manufacturing,
the attack surface has increased.
Giving cyber criminals more entry points
into a company's network,
securing IOT or Internet of things devices
with updated firmware and monitoring
traffic patterns for unusual activity,
can mitigate some of these risks.
Second, we have the financial sector.
In the financial sector,
securing transaction systems ensures trust
and prevents financial loss.
Financial institutions process millions
of transactions daily,
and a breach in their systems
could have devastating consequences.
Cyber criminals often target financial systems
to steal funds or hold systems for ransom.
A notable example of financial sector attack
is the 2016 attack
on the Bangladesh central bank.
In this attack,
hackers exploited weaknesses in the SWIFT payment system
and attempted to steal nearly $1 billion.
The attackers believed
to be the North Korean Lazarus group
used sophisticated techniques
to infiltrate the bank's network
and issue fraudulent transfer requests.
They initially succeeded in transferring
$81 million to accounts in the Philippines
before a typo in one of the transfer orders,
raised suspicion, and resulted in uncovering the theft.
While most of the money was recovered,
the attack exposed significant vulnerabilities
in inter-bank payment systems,
including poor security protocols
and insufficient monitoring of suspicious transactions.
Customer data including personal information,
credit card numbers,
and banking details are prime targets for cyber criminals,
making it essential for financial institutions
to comply with strict data protection regulations
to prevent breaches.
For example, institutions must adhere to regulations
like the general data protection regulation in Europe
and the payment card industry data security standard,
which ensures appropriate measures are taken
to protect customer data and prevent fraud.
Failure to comply can lead to hefty fines
and damage to reputation.
Given the financial sector's reliance
on digital infrastructure and customer trust,
it remains a major target for attack,
emphasizing the need for strong security measures.
Third and last,
we have the government or defense sector.
In the government and defense sector,
securing classified information is a top priority.
State sponsored attacks often aimed
to steal or manipulate sensitive government data,
which could be used
to gain a strategic advantage.
A well-known example of an attack
in the government or defense sector
is the 2020 SolarWinds cyber attack
where hackers infiltrated several US government agencies.
In this attack,
the hackers inserted malicious code into software updates
for the SolarWinds Orion platform,
which is widely used for network management.
This allowed the attackers to gain access
to sensitive systems without detection for several months.
Overall, the breach affected multiple federal agencies,
including the departments of Homeland Security,
Energy, and Treasury,
potentially, exposing national security secrets
and critical infrastructure information.
This attack highlights the vulnerabilities
in the government and defense software supply chain,
and underscores the need
for stronger security protocols
in managing third party software.
Next, government and defense communications
are a critical asset that must be protected.
Military operations rely heavily
on secure communication networks and command systems.
A cyber attack disrupting these systems
could manipulate battlefield data
or disable critical infrastructure,
putting missions and service members at risk.
Governments must invest in cybersecurity strategies
to safeguard their military assets.
In 2008, the US military was targeted
by a malware known as Agent.btz,
which infiltrated systems through infected USB drives.
The malware created a backdoor into military networks,
allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The US Department of Defense
spent significant time and resources
eradicating this malware,
which led to the ban
on the use of USB drives across military networks.
This attack emphasized the growing threat of cyber espionage
and was a catalyst for the creation
of the US cyber command in 2010,
tasked with defending military networks
and enhancing cyber capabilities.
So remember, securing sensitive operations
and data is a challenge
for both commercial and government sectors,
especially in industries like manufacturing, finance,
and government or defense.
In manufacturing,
protecting systems that control production processes
and safeguarding intellectual property
are essential to maintaining business continuity
and staying competitive.
Next, financial institutions must focus
on securing transaction systems and customer data
while complying with strict regulations
to prevent fraud and breaches.
Finally, government and defense sectors face the threat
of state-sponsored cyber attack aimed at stealing
or manipulating classified information
and disrupting critical infrastructure.
Across all sectors,
strong cyber security strategies protect
against growing and sophisticated threats.