Class 3: Week Discussion 1

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Class 3: Week Discussion 1

Galinec, Možnik, and Guberina (2017) suggest that cybersecurity or information technology security is the practice of protecting and guarding data, networks, digital and electronic systems, computers, mobile implements, and servers from malicious digital attacks or cyber-attacks. These attacks are usually instigated to access, change, alter, or destroy sensitive information, gather politically motivated information, extort money from information owners or interrupt regular processes in businesses (Cisco, n.d).

Critical infrastructure refers to the collection of physical and virtual assets, processes, facilities, systems, networks, technologies, and services essential to the security, health, economic wellbeing, and safety for citizens and their governments’ effective functioning (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019; Tiirmaa-Klaar, 2016). The Government of Canada (2019), suggests that critical infrastructure can be interdependent and interconnected across territories, states, and national borders or operate as stand-alone establishments.

Studying cybersecurity as it relates to critical infrastructure is important because it equips one with the knowledge of defending and protecting the sixteen critical infrastructure sectors whose systems, assets, and networks are critical to the nation’s wellbeing, security, and safety. The disruptions, destruction, or incapacitation of these sectors can have devastating impacts on public health and safety, national economic security, and national security, which can culminate in catastrophic loss of life, momentous harm to public confidence, and adverse economic ramifications (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019; Knapp & Langill, 2014; Isle of Man Government, 2018). Also, studying cybersecurity and its associations with critical infrastructure is imperative because it enables one to know the key security operations, protocols, functions, control systems, and applications for protecting the critical infrastructure that includes detecting, investigating, and remediating digital attacks that target critical infrastructure (Knapp & Langill, 2014). Thirdly, studying cybersecurity allows one to comprehend the dynamics of strengthening and maintaining resilient and securely functioning critical infrastructure.

One aspect of computing technology that most concerns me is the concept of virtualization. As virtualization in the contemporary world continues to expand from personal computers to servers, routers, and other technologies, many think that this will provide higher levels of control. However, I am concerned that cyber terrorists will find new ways of leveraging virtualization to create sophisticated virtual tools capable of destroying lives and property in great magnitudes. Another aspect that most concerns me is the growing over-reliance on intelligent machines. This concerns me because sooner or later, people’s social and cognitive abilities will be eroded by the deep dependence on automated machines, hence destroying their capacities for interactions and independent action and thinking.

References

Cisco. (n.d). What is cybersecurity?. San Jose, CA. Cisco. Retrieved January 14, 2020, from https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/security/what-is-cybersecurity.html#~related-topics.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency. (March 03, 2019). Critical infrastructure sectors. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved January 14, 2020, from https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors.

Galinec, D., Možnik, D., & Guberina, B. (2017). Cybersecurity and cyber defence: national level strategic approach. Automation: Journal of Automation, Measurement, Electronics, Computing and Communications, 58(3), 273-286.

Government of Canada. (2019). Critical infrastructure. Government of Canada. Retrieved January 14, 2020, from https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/crtcl-nfrstrctr/index-en.aspx.

Isle of Man Government. (2018). National cyber security strategy. Isle of Man Government.

Knapp, E. D., & Langill, J. T. (2014). Industrial network security: Securing critical infrastructure networks for smart grid, SCADA, and other Industrial Control Systems, 2 Ed. Syngress.

Tiirmaa-Klaar, H. (2016). Building national cyber resilience and protecting critical information infrastructure. Journal of Cyber Policy, 1(1), 94-106.