Cyber-Security

Cyber-Security

Question 1

For an optimal response to an attack, two key teams have to be assembled. These are a team of experts to deal with the attack while maintaining all relevant information accompanied by regular briefings. The other set is a dynamic team which experts in the subject. A national response team is a core in detecting an attack. Their core business is the coordination of emergencies involve stakeholders like the government, companies and even foreign countries. National programs provide central coordination and multispectral approach to detection of an attack. The core function of this is the preparation of information and dissemination of vulnerability related intelligence. From the variety of alert and systems of warning for cyber or terrorists attacks are the key sources of information in foretelling a possible attack (Cazorla, Alcaraz & Lopez, 2016).

Unusual activities are clear indicators of an attack ready to be launched. This is detected by monitoring of network activities which can point to possible breaches of security. Various indicators of compromise are further pieced together by looking at correlations and can even point to attack that is already in progress. Since most of the infrastructures are interconnected, they become very vulnerable to attacks. These infrastructure tendencies depend on one another and become weak points for faults, error, and propagation points from one critical infrastructure to the other. A slight disruption is causing a disturbance in another department is a red alert (Briesemeister et al., 2010).

Finally, risk analysis is a crucial pointer to the vulnerability of attack in an infrastructure to ensure that there is a proper exploration of the could-be disruptive events. This takes a statistical approach where the possibility of failure is simulated, and then a sensible approach is built to address the propagation or to curb the situation (Chakrabarti & Manimaran, 2002)

References

Briesemeister, L., Cheung, S., Lindqvist, U., & Valdes, A. (2010, August). Detection, correlation, and visualization of attacks against critical infrastructure systems. In 2010 Eighth International Conference on Privacy, Security and Trust (pp. 15-22). IEEE.

Cazorla, L., Alcaraz, C., & Lopez, J. (2016). Cyber stealth attacks in critical information infrastructures. IEEE Systems Journal, 12(2), 1778-1792.

Chakrabarti, A., & Manimaran, G. (2002). Internet infrastructure security: A taxonomy. IEEE Network, 16(6), 13-21.

Question 2

New triggers become very urgent to identify due to the vital role of approach front-loaded in national protection of infrastructure which is based on the information given as warning and the very initial warnings that are supposed to activate a response. The best method proactive approach to this menace is categorizing the eminent triggers into a broad group because the triggers are unique for each organization owing to the fact that these organizations operate in different environments. Determination of whether a method is front-loaded or back-loaded involves assessing the intensity of the trigger that is proportional to the response. For the response team to effectively respond with the appropriate trigger approach, there should be clarity and sufficiency of information (Chakrabarti & Manimaran, 2002). In the distinct and familiar contexts, the triggers may not be sufficient. On the contrary, front-loaded prevention has higher trigger sensitivity as opposed to back-loaded response (Amoroso, 2012). In most cases, the response is activated to front-loaded prevention than when a back-loaded process is required.

There is a common ground for the two approaches in that they give partial insight into a possible attack. This could, however, get an explanation in a context that is not security-related. Therefore, the main task for the incident response team in front-loaded prevention is to gather all little information to have substantial knowledge. In view of this, the national team charged with infrastructural protection should make an appropriate recommendation. At this point, the team should assume that there is an imminent attack if the team has no proper basis for this recommendation. The overall result is a reduction of convenience and an increase in cost, which is very vital in infrastructural protection essential services (Boston, 2017). Infrastructure attacks remain to be very dangerous and should be studied properly for better understanding and prevention.

References

Amoroso, E. (2012). Cyber-attacks: protecting national infrastructure. Elsevier.

Boston, J. (2017). Safeguarding the Future: governing in an uncertain world (Vol. 52). Bridget Williams Books.

Chakrabarti, A., & Manimaran, G. (2002). Internet infrastructure security: A taxonomy. IEEE Network, 16(6), 13-21.