In recent years, critical infrastructure (CI) has become a primary target for cybercriminals and nation-state actors. The systems that provide essential services such as energy, water, transportation, and healthcare are increasingly vulnerable to attacks that could have devastating consequences for entire regions or even nations. As well as the recent attack on American Water, one of the most notable incidents was the Colonial Pipeline attack in 2021, which disrupted fuel supplies across the East Coast of the United States, highlighting the fragility of CI in the face of sophisticated cyber threats.

As attacks on CI become more frequent, automation is emerging as a key solution to prevent, detect, and mitigate these threats. Here, we explore the growing risks to critical infrastructure and how automation can help safeguard these vital systems.

The Rising Threat to Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure comprises the physical and digital systems that are essential for the functioning of societies. This includes utilities, transportation networks, and healthcare systems, among others. As these sectors increasingly rely on interconnected digital technologies, they have become more susceptible to cyber-attacks.

In the past decade, several high-profile cyber incidents have underscored this vulnerability:

• Colonial Pipeline Attack (2021): A ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company forced the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the US, leading to fuel shortages and disruptions across several states. The attackers exploited vulnerabilities in the company’s IT systems to demand ransom, costing Colonial $4.4 million to resolve the situation.
• Oldsmar Water Treatment Plant (2021): Hackers gained access to a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida, and attempted to increase the levels of sodium hydroxide in the water supply to dangerous levels. The attack was thwarted thanks to quick human intervention, but it highlighted the potential consequences of insecure industrial systems.
• Ukrainian Power Grid Attack (2015): A coordinated cyber-attack on Ukraine’s power grid caused widespread outages, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. This marked the first known instance of hackers successfully taking down a power grid.

As these incidents demonstrate, CI is an attractive target for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors, not only for financial gain but also to cause disruption or exert geopolitical pressure.

The Role of Automation in Preventing Attacks

While no system is entirely immune to cyber-attacks, automation can play a crucial role in bolstering the defenses of critical infrastructure. Automation provides enhanced monitoring, detection, and response capabilities that can help prevent attacks or limit their impact. Here are several ways automation can help safeguard CI:

1. Automated Threat Detection

Manual monitoring of complex CI systems is increasingly ineffective given the speed and sophistication of modern cyber-attacks. Automated systems can continuously monitor network traffic, looking for abnormal patterns that may indicate a breach. By using machine learning algorithms, automated tools can detect potential threats in real-time, alerting security teams to unusual behavior before it escalates into a full-blown attack.

For example, automated detection tools can spot unusual login attempts or unauthorized access to control systems, which could indicate the early stages of a ransomware attack, like the one seen in the Colonial Pipeline case. These automated systems can also be configured to isolate affected systems immediately, reducing the attacker’s ability to move laterally across networks.

2. Automated Response and Mitigation

When a cyber-attack is detected, the speed of response is critical. Delays in addressing a breach can give attackers the opportunity to gain deeper access, escalate privileges, or deploy malware. Automation can reduce these delays by enabling pre-configured, automated responses to detected threats.

For instance, if an anomaly is detected in an operational system, automated systems can immediately trigger a lockdown, restricting access to sensitive areas of the network. This rapid response is critical in mitigating attacks like the one on the Oldsmar water treatment plant, where automation could have prevented unauthorized changes to chemical levels in the water supply.

Automated lifecycle management is another key aspect of a robust cybersecurity strategy. As critical infrastructure increasingly integrates connected devices (IoT/OT), maintaining the security of these devices throughout their lifecycle—from initial deployment to decommissioning—is vital. This is especially important for legacy devices, which can be difficult to secure without proper oversight.

While legacy devices aren’t inherently problematic, securing them can present unique challenges. These older systems were often not designed with modern cybersecurity requirements in mind. Automating lifecycle management ensures that legacy devices receive necessary updates, patches, and monitoring throughout their operational life. This prevents them from becoming a weak link in the broader network security chain. Automated processes can help track, authenticate, and secure these devices, ensuring they do not become entry points for attackers, while avoiding disruptions to critical operations.

3. Automating Compliance and Patching

A common vulnerability in CI is outdated software and unpatched systems, which are often exploited by attackers. Regular software updates and patch management are essential to closing security gaps, but in large-scale, complex systems, this process can be time-consuming and prone to human error.

Automated patch management systems ensure that critical updates are applied across all systems in a timely manner, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited. Additionally, automation can help ensure that organizations stay compliant with industry regulations, such as NIST and CISA guidelines, by automatically auditing and documenting security processes.

4. Predictive Maintenance and Anomaly Detection

For CI systems that rely on industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT), downtime or failure can be catastrophic. Automated systems can leverage predictive analytics to anticipate when equipment is likely to fail or when unusual operational patterns suggest a cyber intrusion.

For example, by continuously monitoring the health and performance of connected devices, predictive maintenance tools can alert operators to issues before they result in downtime or a potential cyber breach. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also reduces the likelihood of attacks going undetected until it’s too late.

Challenges of Automation in Critical Infrastructure

While automation offers a range of benefits, securing legacy systems within critical infrastructure can present challenges. Many legacy devices, which were not originally designed with today’s cybersecurity standards, remain vital to operations. However, integrating them into modern security frameworks is essential to ensure they do not become weak links in the broader system.

Rather than viewing legacy systems as inherently problematic, it’s important to recognize that securing them is crucial to maintaining a resilient infrastructure. Automation can help by providing scalable solutions for monitoring, updating, and managing these devices throughout their lifecycle. This ensures that legacy systems continue to operate securely alongside newer technologies, minimizing risks and preventing potential vulnerabilities from being exploited.

A Proactive Approach to Securing Critical Infrastructure

The growing frequency of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure highlights the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures. Automation is a key tool in the fight against these threats, providing faster detection, an accelerated and often remote response that can be vital for widespread and hard to reach assets, and prevention capabilities that are simply not possible or time and cost-prohibitive through traditional manual methods. By automating essential processes such as threat detection, response, patch management, and predictive maintenance, CI organizations can significantly reduce the risk of successful attacks.

While there are challenges in adopting automation, the benefits far outweigh the risks. As cyber threats continue to evolve, automation offers a proactive, scalable, and efficient way to safeguard the critical systems that power modern society.