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On Thursday, McAfee shed light on the cost and impact of cyberattacks on critical infrastructures such as electrical grids, oil and gas production, telecommunications and transportation networks. More than half of 600 IT security executives from critical infrastructure enterprises worldwide report large-scale attacks or infiltrations from organized crime, terrorists or nation-states.<\/p>\n
\nThe average estimated cost of downtime associated with a major incident was a jaw-dropping $6.3 million per day.<\/p>\n
\n“In today’s economic climate, it is imperative that organizations prepare for the instability that cyberattacks on critical infrastructure can cause,” said Dave DeWalt, president and CEO of McAfee. “From public transportation to energy to telecommunications, these are the systems we depend on every day. An attack on any of these industries could cause widespread economic disruptions, environmental disasters, loss of property, and even loss of life.”<\/p>\n
Cyberattacks on the Rise<\/p>\n
\nThe report, titled In the Crossfire: Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Cyberwar, warns of the rising risk of cyberattacks. Thirty-seven percent of IT executives said the vulnerability of their sector has increased over the past 12 months, and two-fifths expect a major security incident in their sector within the next year. Only 20 percent think their sector is safe from serious cyberattack over the next five years.<\/p>\n
\nMany of the world’s critical infrastructures were built for reliability and availability, McAfee noted, not security. Traditionally, these organizations have had little to no cyber protection, and have relied on guards, gates and guns. Today, however, McAfee said computer networks are interconnected with corporate IT networks and other infrastructure networks accessible from anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
\n“The recently identified Operation Aurora was the largest and most sophisticated cyberattack targeted at specific corporations, but it could have just as easily targeted the world’s critical infrastructure,” DeWalt said. “The attack announced by Google and identified by McAfee was the most sophisticated… <\/p>\n
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