The sizeable investments flowing into the smart grid space have the need for deeper data infrastructure systems.
That makes it the first publicly-known threat, aside from occasional unattributed reports, to target the long-vulnerable infrastructure systems.
Clarke was more optimistic about administration proposals to impose greater cybersecurity standards on private owners and operators of civilian critical infrastructure systems.
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Modern, industry-standard communications and transportation systems were two more key infrastructure systems.
But the vulnerability of critical infrastructure systems, mostly owned by the private sector, has slowly emerged as a real threat to national security.
However, the higher speeds provided by the more expensive infrastructure systems like a cable to every dwelling or office: they do not make a difference.
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Little doubt remains that the Stuxnet worm represents one of the most sophisticated digital attacks on critical infrastructure systems that cybersecurity researchers have ever seen.
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Operators of critical infrastructure systems that people rely on for life-sustaining services have the added responsibility of ensuring their systems are at least protected with industry-consensus best practices.
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Unknown hackers, perhaps a world away, had inserted malicious software into the computer networks of private-sector companies that operate most of our transportation, water and other critical infrastructure systems.
Defense contractors, who possess sensitive military data, are particularly likely to be monitored by the new Einstein program, and critical infrastructure systems are also likely to fall under its surveillance.
Last May, the Administration sent a legislative proposal to the Congress that would give the Federal government and private sector new tools to ensure our most vital critical infrastructure systems are properly secured.
The sensitivity over the public-private partnership remains a hotly debated issue in Washington, as lawmakers try to come up with legislation that would require acceptable minimum security standards for companies that operate critical infrastructure systems.
So while liquid financial markets, educated workforces and business-friendly legal environments are still indispensable ingredients of any international financial center, non-traditional factors like the state of local infrastructure systems have become an indisputable piece of the puzzle.
Marcus Sachs, the executive director of national security policy at Verizon (nyse: VZ - news - people ), was hopeful that Chertoff's appeal to the private sector at RSA might mean more information sharing with those critical infrastructure systems.
This is especially true at very large and very small scales (think astronomy or particle physics), but also liminal spaces or large sociotechnical systems that cannot be experienced completely or directly (think cyberspace, but also large infrastructure systems like power grids, interstrate highway systems, etc.).
On July 15, 1996, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order No. 13010, in which he identified eight infrastructure systems critical to the nation's survival: telecommunications, electric power systems, oil and gas storage, transportation, banking and finance, storage and transportation, water supply systems, and emergency services (including medical, police, fire and rescue, and continuity of government).
When reviewing or creating a Disaster Recovery Plan, one of the most important considerations is to understand how critical infrastructure and systems would be replaced if damaged during an event.
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To protect electronics infrastructure, entire systems must be encased in a metallic shield to prevent any external electromagnetic pulse from entering.
The infrastructure (operating systems, networking technologies) will be largely a public good, while services (support, training) and specialised applications are for sale.
We have enhanced security at our nation's airports and around other transportation systems and infrastructure.
These "bursts" and "breaks" in the monsoon cause floods and droughts that impact agriculture, river systems and infrastructure.
The bulk of the cuts would come from reductions in research and development, funding of new weapons systems and infrastructure creation.
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The second biggest risk is not making the sufficient investment in our infrastructure, in our systems, so that we are able to take advantage of the growth.
Malthus did not anticipate the development of powerful new vaccines for diseases like small-pox and equally powerful advances in public health infrastructure like modern sewage systems and so forth.
Among the targeted infrastructure was everything from systems that control traffic lights in large cities to nuclear plants, water treatment plants , large manufacturers, defense contractors and high tech companies.
Still, rising temperatures offer a lot of potential that Greenland is trying to tap into, hoping that farming will prevail here if the infrastructure, like watering systems, is in place.
"That said, we feel there is going to be an awful lot of organic growth in public places, " said Britta Gross, General Motors' director of global energy systems and infrastructure commercialization.
Upstate cities are faced with aging infrastructure, costly pension systems for once large public workforces, and an exodus of taxpayers and businesses to the suburbs while remaining the hub for social services and the poor.
But in the business world, the shift to the cloud has been complicated greatly by the incumbency of traditional on-premises systems and infrastructure and applications, plus all the myriad layers of complexity and cost that were required to string together disparate software and servers and networks and middleware and so on.
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What is clear is that critical infrastructure and industrial plant control systems are coming under more scrutiny from both attackers and defenders.
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