Critical Infrastructure Sectors and How to Enhance Security

By Dr. LaLanya Fair  |  06/04/2024

The critical infrastructure sectors of the United States include some of the most important systems and essential services of vital importance for our ability to function as a society. The term “critical infrastructure” refers to the “assets, systems, and networks that provide functions necessary for our way of life,” as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines it.

What Are the 16 Most Critical Infrastructures?

These 16 critical infrastructure sectors have a direct impact on our national, regional, and even local economies. These infrastructure sectors include our:

• Communications sector
• Critical manufacturing sector
• Defense industrial base sector (impacting the integrity of military operations)
• Emergency services sector
• Energy sector
• Financial services sector
• Food and agriculture sector
• Government facilities sector
• Healthcare and public health sector
• Information technology sector
• Nuclear facilities sector
• Dams sector
• Chemical sector
• Commercial facilities sector
• Transportation systems sector
• Water and waterways sector

The systems of each critical infrastructure sector were built to withstand many natural disasters. Terrorist attacks, however, are an entirely different matter altogether. They necessitate robust infrastructure security and a national infrastructure protection plan.

Attacks on critical infrastructure have the potential to impact national economic security and disrupt the economy and society as we know it. Imagine what would happen if the food and agriculture sector, the transportation systems sector, the water and waterways sector, or the government facilities sector were attacked or impacted by natural disasters. We would have trouble getting food in stores, riding or driving from one place to another, having clean water to use (which could in turn affect public health), or communicating with government offices and rescue services.

Similarly, what would happen if nuclear reactors failed as the result of an attack? How would we get rid of nuclear reactors' materials and waste and deal with radiation affecting public health?

Foreign Threats Persist

According to CNN, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that China’s hackers are focusing on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities. In an appearance before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Wray cautioned it’s not if, but when, China will attack.

Wray went on to say hackers from China are working “to find and prepare to destroy or degrade the civilian critical infrastructure that keeps us safe and prosperous…And let’s be clear: Cyber threats to our critical infrastructure represent real world threats to our physical safety.”

While hearing about a hacker infiltrating the U.S. electrical grid sounds like a plot from an action movie, the Department of Homeland Security recently provided details about Russia and how they continue to infiltrate U.S. critical infrastructure sectors. Those sectors include such systems as natural gas pipelines, water facilities, transportation systems, and power plants.

It is not much different from how Russia attacked Ukraine’s grid back in 2015 and 2016.

After investigation into the incidents, the Department of Homeland Security had to revise the number of attacks to hundreds from the original estimate of dozens. The Department of Homeland Security contends that these attacks were nothing more than scouting missions, but they are still concerning since the failure of certain systems could negatively impact our lives.

Based on the Threat Intelligence Index report, 10.7% of the cyberattacks during 2022 happened in the energy sector, making energy fourth on the list of most attacked industries. In North America, 20% of the energy companies suffered attacks, making it the number-one attacked industry here.

But it is not only foreign agitators that pose a threat to our critical infrastructures.

Extremists Attack Critical Infrastructure from Within

There have been several attacks already. In February 2023, domestic extremists were caught and charged with planning to destroy Baltimore’s power grid. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) recently reported that there were more than 2,800 reports of vandalism and gunfire in 2024.

To exacerbate the issue, the federal level provided no coordination and/or notification to the local government. No one agency monitors these situations and the communication between federal agencies and state/local governments can sometimes be hampered by this lack of structure.

Suspicious activity and attacks at power plants in the United States elevated to a decade-long high in the first eight months of 2022, with 100+ incidents reported. After that timeframe, there were approximately 18 more public incidents in Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. In one of these attacks, the intruders cut the fence and disabled equipment with firearms in Clackamas County, Oregon.

In one of the most high-profile events to impact the private sector, an attack on two substations in North Carolina caused 45,000 people to lose power as a result of a targeted attack.

The increase in sector-specific attacks has alarmed federal agencies and security analysts. They have issued warnings of credible plans by domestic violence extremists to threaten power stations.

Domestic extremists, intent on destroying energy sector infrastructure, are using social media platforms to incite activity that could threaten the availability of electricity, oil, and natural gas.

In each of the last three years, law enforcement has foiled plots by right-wing extremists designed to sow chaos by attacking America’s electrical infrastructure.

According to CBS News, Brian Harrell, former assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at DHS noted, “It's important to note that new fencing, cameras, or better lighting isn't going to prevent attacks. They will continue to happen…This is why we must invest in resilience, adding redundancy, and removing single points of failure. Certain attacks on critical infrastructure should be legally treated as domestic terrorism.”

Electrical Equipment Remains Extremely Vulnerable, So It Is Vital to Protect Property

Some 60 attacks on utilities were categorized as physical threats to major electrical infrastructure. These attacks were reported during the same time as two cyberattacks in 2023.

Of these attacks, nine caused power disruptions. Essentially, the number of attacks in 2023 more than doubled over 2022 during the same time period.

Law enforcement has seen an increase in chatter in online forums by domestic violence extremists. These attackers share information on how to shut down power grids and cause large-scale power outages.

Without a central place to gather data, it is difficult to determine attack patterns or even develop a plan to proactively stop these attacks against our nation’s critical infrastructure. However, it is necessary to take action, because data shows such attacks appear to be increasing dramatically.

Critical Infrastructure Security

With these infrastructure attacks happening more frequently, the focus should turn more towards prevention and mitigating the possibility of these critical infrastructure security threats from happening.

The age of energy grids infrastructure coupled with outdated technology poses huge obstacles that significantly increase the chance of attacks. To create resilient critical infrastructure, the technology must be upgraded and equipment should be modernized.

Some of the ideas that are proposed could improve the effectiveness and efficiency to curb cyber threats and reduce vulnerabilities.  

For instance, the deployment of a holistic risk and security management framework – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover (IPDRR) – is meant to provide critical infrastructure protection for the tech sector to guide cybersecurity efforts. This framework, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is designed to align an organization’s cybersecurity efforts with their resources, business requirements, and risk tolerances.

IPDRR allows organizations, regardless of size, degree of cybersecurity risk, or sophistication, to apply the principles and best practices of risk management and improve the security and resilience of their critical infrastructure.

Another possible solution is to integrate blockchain technology into the critical infrastructure. It would provide a stable, secure platform that can reliably and continuously support economic efficiency.

Solutions to Protect the End User

Having well-configured firewalls is essential for critical infrastructure security to maintain secure environments. They protect an organization against external threats; however, they do not protect against internal threats.

Checking that devices like laptops and mobile devices are configured correctly and audited frequently helps to ensure that an organization’s entire network is secure.

One way to ensure network security is to detect any possible security issues before they can be exploited by an insider. Running risk assessments and simulations helps to ensure that the systems do not have vulnerabilities and are capable of withstanding external or internal attacks.

Hackers work around the clock to infiltrate businesses. As part of a risk management plan, companies must constantly be thinking about potential threats from hackers. Running simulations and risk assessments should be done monthly.

Automated tools cannot think of every scenario because algorithms can only run through the ideas that have been preloaded into them. Using humans as professional hackers is the best defense against hackers.

Utility companies have to increase their cybersecurity posture and use concentric layering to strengthen their perimeter of the power grids if they hope to deter hackers and domestic violence extremists.

Grids are powerful and necessary, but their software and networks are also ideal targets for breaches. If all of our infrastructure sectors are not secured properly, that will result in a disaster for the community, businesses, and the U.S. economy. It could also affect local and national security and national public health. 

Homeland Security Degrees at American Military University

American Military University (AMU) provides both an online bachelor’s degree in homeland security and an online master’s degree in homeland security, as well as an online undergraduate certificate and an online graduate certificate in homeland security. In these programs, students can take courses in critical infrastructure protection, border and coastal security, intelligence and homeland security, domestic terrorism and extremist groups, and computer crime.

These courses are taught by experienced instructors who can provide insight into the homeland security industry. For more details about the programs offered by AMU, visit our program page.