Page 89 - Cyber Warnings

How to protect your critical asset from the insider’s threat?

By Milica Djekic

The modern times bring us lots of concerns regarding terrorist attacks and diversions. The goal
of terrorism is to produce a fear and make victimization of the targeted groups. The common
target of terrorist attacks is a critical infrastructure which is part of the country’s assets which is
vitally important to its nation.

The consequences of the critical infrastructure damage or loss could get catastrophical to such
a society. Through this article, we will discuss why it’s so dangerous to suffer the critical asset’s
diversion as well as deal with someone who would support the entire action from the inside.

The critical infrastructure requires people to work for it and maintain its capacities. That
infrastructure could include any strategically important facility to the country including water
supply systems, telecommunication facilities, airports, water waste systems, power plants and
so on.

It is clear how risky it would be if someone from inside shared confidential information with the
threat from outside or allow an access to that asset to such a malicious actor.

If we try to imagine the consequences of such a prepared attack – we would realize that they
could get catastrophical to that organization, its employees and the entire nation.

For such a reason, it’s so important to put every critical asset under the exposure and constant
monitoring by defense professionals. Some risks could be prevented and some insider’s threats
could get recognized before they harm their surroundings.

We are aware that not everyone can be employmed within some critical infrastructure and so
commonly those people are trusted in a security sense. On the other hand, many developing
countries would face the internal diversions for many reasons.

For example if the employer paid the staff member well they wouldn't turn to terrorism. Also,
every attack to a critical infrastructure may get considered as an act of terror.

Everyone involved in such an operation would get a status of terroristic fugitives.

Unfortunately, not even the developed societies are immune to those threats because their
community is so diverse in background. Many westerns would join the terrorist groups and work
for them silently taking out many confidential findings and participating into diversions,
sabotages, espionages or any other sorts of attacks.

89 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2016 Edition
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