Critical Infrastructure Protection in Cybersecurity
Introduction
Out of the eighteen critical infrastructure sectors, this paper will consider the evaluation of the energy sector as it is required for the execution of many, if not all, sectors within the American borders. The absence of energy infrastructure threatens the provision of health and welfare services, the running of communication systems between firms, and the execution of financial services. The 21st presidential policy directive identifies the Energy Sector as uniquely critical in providing an enabling environment for the efficient functioning of other critical infrastructure sectors. Even though private investors own over 80 percent of America’s energy infrastructure, the energy supply is sufficient to meet the needs of the transport industry, electricity supply to businesses, households, and other energy needs necessary for production purposes (Sun et al., 2018). The energy sector is divided into three broad categories: electricity, oil, and natural gas. The electricity division in the U.S. IS composed of over 6,500 power plants that produce over a thousand gigawatts of power. Combustion of coal is responsible for producing 47 percent of electricity, nuclear power is responsible for 20 per cent of production, and 23 per cent is generated from the combustion of natural gas (Sun et al., 2018). The remaining fraction is generated by hydroelectric plants and renewable sources of energy.
Assessment of the Importance of Energy Sector, Vulnerabilities, and Strategies to Combat Them
The utilization of energy is required for the well-being and prosperity of people across the globe. The contemporary world requires energy to support economic and social progress and build a better quality of life in developed and developing nations. For instance, energy is used in the industrial sector for manufacturing purposes, mining, construction, and agricultural activities. Manufacturing activities consume 81% of the energy generated, while agriculture only consumes 3%. Mining and construction consume 9 and 6%, respectively (Neagu & Teodoru, 2019). The manufacturing industry comprises six subsectors that utilize a large volume of energy. These subsectors are petroleum, coal products, paper, primary metals, food, and nonmetallic products. However, the three largest manufacturing activities regarding energy consumption based on the 2018 survey were chemicals, petroleum products, and paper (Neagu & Teodoru, 2019). Mining involves the extraction of minerals such as stone, gravel, oil, and natural gas. The energy consumption in agriculture is used in farming, fishing, and forestry.
There are three broad characteristics that make utility companies vulnerable to cyber threats. The first aspect is that many actors target the utility sector as opposed to any other sector. The hacktivist understands the economic value associated with companies operating in this vital sector. The other reason for increased vulnerability is that utility firms often adopt complex organizational structures such as the decentralization of cyber security leadership. Finally, the interdependencies between physical and cyber infrastructure make companies vulnerable to exploitation, especially the billing fraud associated with “smart meters” (Shabalov et al., 2021).
Additionally, cyber-attacks against the energy infrastructure occur in five major ways: corruption of information, denial of service (DOS), disclosure of information, physical destructions, and theft of resources. However, hackers rely majorly on phishing and ransomware to attack the energy infrastructure (Shabalov et al., 2021). Phishing involves sending many emails containing confidential information to employees within the energy firms, while ransomware involves stealing confidential information of an organization and demanding payment in exchange for its restoration.
Strategies to Reduce Vulnerability against the Energy Sector Infrastructure
Organizations in the energy sector should emulate the following strategies to combat the existing vulnerabilities within their system infrastructure. The first strategy is to ensure that organizations develop strategic intelligence on threats and actors before launching attacks on their infrastructure (Andrew, 2020). Firms in the energy sector should move away from reactionary measures and instead take proactive approaches to fortify their network against any attack now and in the future (Andrew, 2020). The other strategy is for organizations to reduce the geographic and operational gaps in awareness and communication of security measures. Employees in the organization dealing with infrastructure security should not only be aware of the available security threats but also have clear channels that can foster communication with the junior employees to fill all the gaps that may enhance attacks on the organization’s infrastructure system (Andrew, 2020).
Interdependencies with Other Sectors
The energy sector relates to other sectors since it provides the much-needed production component in most, if not all, of the other seventeen infrastructural sectors. For instance, energy consumption directly correlates with a country’s economic growth and development. This explains why energy consumption in the U.S. is almost similar to economic growth. For instance, fuel consumption increased by 5.1 percent in 2018, while the economic growth realized was 5.2 percent, 0.1 percent above fuel consumption (Shabalov et al., 2021). Furthermore, the other sectors like building and construction, transportation, mining, and the population were responsible for using the energy generated from the energy sector infrastructure. This means that other sectors can hardly run and be economically viable without the energy sector infrastructure.
References
Andrew, L. (2020). The vulnerability of vital systems: how critical infrastructure became a security problem. In Securing ‘the Homeland’ (pp. 17-39). Routledge.
Neagu, O., & Teodoru, M. C. (2019). The relationship between economic complexity, energy consumption structure, and greenhouse gas emission: Heterogeneous panel evidence from the EU countries. Sustainability, 11(2), 497.
Shabalov, M. Y., Zhukovskiy, Y. L., Buldysko, A. D., Gil, B., & Starshaia, V. V. (2021). The influence of technological changes in energy efficiency on the infrastructure deterioration in the energy sector. Energy Reports, 7, 2664-2680.
Sun, C. C., Hahn, A., & Liu, C. C. (2018). Cyber security of a power grid: State-of-the-art. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 99, 45-56.
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Question 
Begin by researching and identifying a critical infrastructure sector or component (there are 18 of them to choose from), such as power, finance, and banking, or municipal services. Perform an analysis of the selected component, identifying its vulnerabilities. After conducting your research, either in the CSU Online Library or on the Internet, propose improvements in the protection of that component. Your paper must contain the following elements.
Critical Infrastructure Protection in Cyber security
1. An introduction to describe your chosen critical infrastructure sector or component
2. An analysis and assessment of the critical infrastructure importance and vulnerabilities of the infrastructure, plus strategies to deal with the threats and vulnerabilities
3. A section to identify any interdependencies with other sectors
4. A proposal with strategies for improvements to enhance the protection and reduce the vulnerability of the infrastructure or component
5. A comprehensive listing of the references consulted in conducting the evaluation