Terrorism Targest Energy infrastructure & Cyber Crime.
Energy facilities have become victims of terrorist attacks, and this already over many years.
Energy resources are terrorist targets to gain influence on not only economical substantial patterns of countries but also in warfare to obstruct power supply towards information or communication centre from actual enemies.
Looking at the impact of energy transmission today, passing the Golf of Aden or the Red Sea and being under attack of the Houthis, but also the exploded Gas pipelines in the East Sea or spying at windmill parks in the North Sea makes it clearly visible how quick targets on infrastructure can have a large influence.
Effective targets are not the main exploitation sources but the transport systems, most likely there were transport systems are hard to renew the energy transmission.
Also targets are selected to reduce loss of own terrorist resources as well as a cost-benefit calculation.
Often, terrorists are not so obvious visible as shown in news channels.
Terrorism can also start as treat to attack energy companies or locations to retrieve money for other terrorist goals. Energy transmission can be used as fundraising for other attacks. Not all financial transmissions are known by normal public.
In the past, attacks on oilfields, oil companies or transport were known. More and more terrorism at energy transmission can have impact on National infrastructures. Not only Light is involved but also think at hospitals, heat, cooking, internet, mobile phones, alarm systems, public transport, airway, traffic lights etc. etc.
Energy is used for almost everything and interruption energy supply can have immense impact vulnerable infrastructure as weapon systems or defence systems.
For countries with vulnerable infrastructure it is a must to assure enough backup resources combined with a fast transmission capability.
Terrorists who are targeting energy structures are mostly intelligent people with radical goals. The want to disrupt infrastructure to gain public panic and chaos.
To achieve this, first attacks are meant to be organized in a way that the impact is great enough to cause attention and or local crisis.
Not all terrorist can be associated to the classical known groups as Houthis, Hamas, Al Qaida, Boko Haram etc.
Also political or environmental groups or individuals can try to receive influence for their mission by disrupting energy transmission.
These last group of modern terrorists, try to effect governments or public infrastructure by blocking streets or entrances but can also affect civilians or other private property, companies. Most likely the goal is to change a social structure or behaviour.
To accomplish their goals they try to avoid personal human impact, since their actions must be supported.
Ideological or religious terrorism are less concern about the well being of people around targets. The goal to claim damage after an attack and to increasement of fear helps to achieve the wanted instability in regions or countries. Since the loss of energy resources can be devastating of individuals, the acceptation from local new ideological or religious leaders can be the only way to survive.
Today energy transmission and supply are used for hybrid warfare.
The impact of destroying the energy structure within countries with high sensible technological war equipment can be the main key point of success.
Oppositional parties can be disrupted and damaged by destroying military functions, intelligent infrastructure, network depending operations, communication, digital connections, surveillance and more.
The need of structured and secured energy transfer is therefor not only a national high safety issue but also an international.
Todays power and energy supply is globalized. Most countries can’t supply or retain energy just inside their borders. High and low concentrations of energy power must be equalized and transmission between different players can stabilize not only defence or military objects but also complete infrastructures.
Countries with stabile energy infrastructure can optimize economic targets, human welfare and social wellbeing for their inhabitants.
Structured planning, cooperation and setting long term goals to stabilize energy consumption or demands is no longer a local target but can affect parts of the world within seconds.
Being focussed to prevent interruptions, caused by technical, personal or terroristic influences must be one of the main goals to retain or economical stability for the future.
Cyber security. The way of understanding.
It is only about 50 years ago that I got my first computer or perhaps better said, electrical device.
To make things work, programming was needed and logical understanding about possibilities from the processor and the amount of memory to work with.
If we showed the steps we needed to teach, at that time to new, young, IT users. They probably thought that we were from another planet.
The fast and easy connectivity we can achieve with modern technology today is wonderful.
It has given us enormous freedom to find all the information we need or want to know. This huge amount of information is also a threat. Surfing has been made so easy that we, in all our enthusiasm to find something, forget that information is not always real or correct. At some points it is even too good to be true.
Modern AI possibilities, personalized processes, cookies, Malware, Phishing und Ransomware and more are used, not only by sale platforms try to find out the behavior of potential customers, but also foreign Intelligence will also seek for information as well as hackers.
Hackers try:
-Manipulation of systems and the data stored in them.
-Exploitation of resources.
-Unauthorized access to the target system and access to sensitive information.
-Disruption of the normal operation of the company and its processes.
-Use of ransomware attacks to encrypt data and extort money from victims.
Spreading a virus is always just one click away!
To understand the correct way of working with the hardware today, especially within companies. A code of information behavior is needed.
Recognizing cyberattacks and responding to them, conveying an understanding of the IT threats to the company and the associated risks and vulnerabilities.
Even the best protection can’t guarantee complete safety against attacks towards software systems.
To protect yourself and your company against cyber threats is needed for all users’ self-discipline.
Companies and private persons can work on awareness of:
-Ransomware
-Botnets attacks
-Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
-Distribution of spam e-mails.
-Theft of confidential data.
-Social Engineering.
-Cryptocurrency hijacking.
-Integrity, clear understanding of cyber threats in the company at all levels of employees.
-Open resources, Functioning identity & access management.
-Phishing.
IT analysis, planning, implementation, internal awareness training services such as SAP R/3 authorization concepts, firewall concepts or network penetration testing.
Setup IT security using qualified personnel, organizational structures and technologies.
Concentrating on:
-AI security.
-Critical infrastructure security.
-Network security.
-Endpoint security.
-Application security.
-Cloud security.
-Information Security.
-Mobile Security.
-Support in maintaining security during ongoing business operations.
Don’t give up on explaining to employees to think before entering nonbusiness platforms or websites.