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Announcements
 1. 

Event
Think Like an Attacker: Understanding Cybercriminals & Nation-State Threat Actor
| Nov 16 Virtual Event <REGISTER NOW>
PreviousNext

Risk

5 MIN READ

Commentary



PROTECT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WITH SAME RIGOR AS CLASSIFIED NETWORKS

Government security processes are often viewed as tedious and burdensome — but
applying the lessons learned from them is imperative for private industry to
counter a nation-state threat.
Adam Maruyama
Field CISO, Garrison Technology
October 12, 2023
Source: Stu Gray via Alamy Stock Photo
PDF


The private sector's utility, telecom, banking, transportation, and medical
networks have become a part of physical, mental, and economic well-being in the
modern world. They are also under unprecedented threat from state actors —
recently underscored by the unclassified summary of the Department of Defense's
cybersecurity strategy, which stated that China "steals technology secrets and
undermines the DIB [defense industrial base]," and that, in the event of
conflict, China "likely intends to launch destructive cyber attacks against the
U.S. Homeland." The Director of National Intelligence's assessment further
elaborated that "China is almost certainly capable of launching cyberattacks
that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States,
including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems."



The DIB and critical infrastructure are under clear threat from our near-peer
competitors and would do well to apply select best practices from US government
classified systems to protect their own crown jewels.


UNDERSTAND WHERE AND HOW PROTECTED ENCLAVES AND THE INTERNET INTERSECT

Whether in the operational technology (OT) networks of utilities, the research
and development enclaves of pharmaceutical networks, or the medical equipment
networks of hospitals, some parts of networks need to be more secure than
others. But even in utilities' OT networks, which contain a critical mass of
potentially vulnerable legacy technology, total segmentation is a myth, and for
good reason: Companies increasingly require the power of big data analytics,
integrations with Internet-connected financial systems, and similar services to
operate an effective business.

A sound approach to risk management in connecting protected enclaves to broader
IT networks can be found in a relatively obscure section of National Security
Memorandum 8 (NSM-8): Cultivate visibility and rigor around the areas in which
the networks overlap. By declaring that cross-domain systems — the systems
responsible for connecting classified networks to unclassified networks — are
"vital [national security systems] that require centralized visibility" and
establishing the NSA's Raise the Bar program to oversee them, the US government
ensured a level of consistent risk evaluation and security rigor around these
inherently risky junctures in the network.



By doing the same, organizations can better manage risk and ensure a consistent
approach, rather than crafty and unique but often unvetted solutions to bridge
protected enclaves and the broader network. As these centralized points of
visibility mature within organizations, they can also unite at an industry level
via information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs) or ad hoc collaborative
networks to understand best practices and technologies to minimize the risks at
these critical network junctures.




PROTECT THE CRITICAL ENTERPRISE ALONG WITH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

As alluded to above, the crown jewels of critical infrastructure organizations
may be well-protected, but they are surrounded by a critical enterprise of
enabling functions — HR, customer service, finance, logistics — hosted on a
less-secure IT network and sometimes one step removed from the culture of
security that permeates operational parts of the organization. But the threat of
lateral movement within the network, whereby an adversary could compromise an
employee in the critical enterprise and eventually navigate their way to more
sensitive systems, renders this an unwise approach. The risk is compounded by
the fact that a joint advisory by the NSA, CISA, the FBI, and others highlights
China-sponsored threat actors "living off the land" within critical
infrastructure networks, using native services rather than malware to evade
detection once they have established a foothold.



The intelligence community has long embraced the concept of the critical
enterprise by requiring that all employees — whether working operationally or in
a support role — complete a thorough suitability process and protect support
networks with the same rigor as their mission networks. By doing so, they not
only protect their endpoints and systems at a given classification level from
technical compromise but also cultivate a culture of security that renders the
organization less vulnerable to human-enabled attacks, such as phishing.

While it is untenable for private sector companies to subject their employees to
the same degree of scrutiny needed for a US security clearance, they can take a
page from the government by securing the entire critical enterprise through
training, preventive cybersecurity architecture, and a culture of security that
makes the entire critical enterprise aware of the shared risks to their
organization.


DEMAND SECURITY BY DESIGN

The complexity of creating a solid cybersecurity architecture is compounded by
the fact that, as CISA director Jen Easterly put it, "We've unwittingly come to
accept as normal that such technology is dangerous-by-design." This has resulted
in the need to deploy myriad security and network management solutions, some of
which have proven dangerous by design in and of themselves.

The US government, in general, and its Department of Defense, in particular,
have long exercised rigorous processes around technology readiness assessment
and operational testing and evaluation. These processes, while costly and
lengthy, are designed to ensure the security, maturity, and operational
readiness of the technologies that will be deployed to conduct the most critical
functions of the US government and support its war fighters. By exercising
diligence in their procurement processes, including a strong eye toward
security, US government agencies minimize the risk that their technology will be
compromised.

It would be impractical to recommend that private sector organizations conduct
the same degree of testing and evaluation of technology. But incorporating
questions geared toward CISA's joint "Security-by-Design and -Default"
principles is an appealing alternative. By moving beyond reliance on regulatory
certifications (many of which test a manufacturer's processes and policies
rather than the inherent security of the underlying technology), security
leaders can partner with acquisition teams to increase the security of both
critical infrastructure and critical enterprise. A few examples of such
questions include:

 * Does your solution include multiple layers of security in case an adversary
   defeats one layer?
 * Do you provide and maintain a software bill of materials?
 * What hardware architectural protections are in place?
 * What is required to "harden" deployment of this solution?

Government security processes are often viewed as tedious and burdensome, but
applying the lessons learned from them doesn't need to be. Taking these three
key lessons and applying them to securing not only critical infrastructure but
also the broader critical enterprise is imperative for private industry to
counter a nation-state threat.

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