Public institutions, banks, and large corporations are frequently targeted by these types of attacks due to the fundamental role they play in society and the economy.
The effect can be devastating. Blocking operations and stealing sensitive information from the government, corporations, and users has the potential to jeopardize the credibility, survival, and even safety of computer hackers' victims.
The danger of cyberattacks is serious and ongoing. When online, any company, institution, or citizen is subject to many high risks from those who exploit the weaknesses of the internet itself and gaps in users' security systems to cause financial and reputational damage that can be fatal.
Similarly, Advanced Persistent Threats, sophisticated cyberattacks developed by hackers sponsored by states or criminal organizations, add to the challenges in cybersecurity.
The breeding ground for cyberattacks is also fueled by flaws that go beyond the digital world. Failure to comply with highly complex and costly regulations and standards, lack of collaboration between professionals in various risk sectors, and ignorance about cyber threats by those responsible greatly increase the likelihood of network attacks.
On the other hand, financial and social crises also contribute to this vulnerability. During these periods, there is generally a lack of budget to invest in technology and specialized training. In a crisis context, the brain drain in search of better living conditions makes it difficult to retain qualified cybersecurity professionals who are familiar with critical infrastructures, their vulnerabilities, and know how to protect systems at risk.
In the face of this threat, alarm and counterattack systems must be strengthened.
Firstly, it is necessary to establish real and effective operational collaboration in protecting these sectors through public-private partnerships (government/military security agencies, the cybersecurity community, and experts) at the national and international levels across all types of events, a dynamic known as Threat Intelligence Sharing.
At the same time, there is an urgent need to improve the capacity to respond to coordinated cyber attacks aimed at destabilizing a nation's critical infrastructure. Stakeholders should conduct cyber defense simulation exercises in critical structures, with joint exercises, drills, incident response planning, monitoring, and practical tests (table top exercises), just like a conventional army.
