Cyber attacks, which have hit industries ranging from public to private to the very private have yet to translate into physical, rather than simply virtual, implications.
All that’s about to change if a new report from Intel Security is any indication.
The Holding the Line Against Cyber Threats: Critical Infrastructure Readiness Report released today reveals that 48 per cent of IT and security decision makers believe that within three years time, hacks on critical infrastructure with potential loss of life could occur.
This focus on infrastructure is likely skewed by the target response group. According to the survey, it was aimed at those in the US, UK, France and Germany that came from the energy, transport, finance, and government sectors.
The fear was also shared more strongly among American respondents than European ones.
To combat this possibility, respondents are looking to the government for help.
The vast majority – 76 per cent – believe that a “national defence force” should respond to attacks that target infrastructure.
An even larger portion of those surveyed – 86 per cent – believe that public and private sectors should cooperate on infrastructure protection.
Nevertheless, the perceived strength of existing security solutions is believed to have kept this type of disaster at bay, according to the report.
“This data raises new and vital questions about how public and private interests can best join forces to mitigate and defend against cyberattacks,” said Clark Kent Ervin, director of homeland security program at Aspen Institute, which conducted the survey. “This issue must be addressed by policymakers and corporate leaders alike.”
