FEATURE : THREAT ANALYSIS
The ‘ cumulative effect ’ of ransomware and the lessons for UK national infrastructure
Ransomware has quickly become one of the biggest threats to organisations , and business leaders must get a hold on their infrastructure and ensure they operate with the most stringent security procedures in place . Adam Enterkin , SVP , EMEA , BlackBerry , tells us what the UK should be learning from the recent Colonial Pipeline hack and how we must prepare in order to give ourselves the best chance of protecting data , funds and the daily lives of all those living in the UK .
Ransomware is the biggest threat to British people and businesses . That ’ s according to Lindy Cameron , Chief Executive of the UK ’ s National Cyber Security Centre . In a recent speech , she warned of the ‘ cumulative effect ’ society would feel if it failed to deal with this rising threat . But what effect is she speaking of ?
We need only look to our US neighbours to answer this . The Colonial Pipeline hack in May 2021 pushed gasoline shortages to their worst in three years . Prices skyrocketed , impacting citizens and businesses simply wishing to go about their daily lives . For all this disruption , there was little justice . Its perpetrator ,
DarkSide , is – by all estimations – still at large and ready to strike again .
Connected infrastructure is at greatest risk
Over the last 10 to 15 years , critical infrastructure has become increasingly connected to the Internet : highly connected hospitals , water and energy systems powered by intelligent sensors , government operations with deep roots in data and many more .
This obviously has its benefits : most importantly the ability to be operated remotely . However , this
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