Cyberattacks on Telecoms and Water Supplies Raise Concerns for National Security

A recent wave of ransomware and data theft attacks has struck critical infrastructure in the UK and Australia, highlighting the growing threat to national security. Telecoms giants Colt and iiNet have been hit by separate incidents, affecting thousands of people and underscoring the vulnerability of critical infrastructure worldwide.

In the UK, Colt has been targeted by a ransomware attack claimed by the Warlock gang, which has affected some of the company’s business support systems. The attack has left Colt’s customers without access to certain services, including Colt Online and the Voice API platform. The company has assured customers that it is working tirelessly to restore the affected systems and has taken immediate protective measures to ensure the security of its customers and colleagues.

Colt’s CEO has stated that the company has detected the cyber incident on an internal system, which is separate from its customers’ infrastructure. The company has proactively notified the relevant authorities and is working closely with third-party cyber experts to investigate the incident.

In Australia, iiNet has been impacted by a cyber incident involving unauthorized access to its order management system. The attack has exposed the personal details of 280,000 people, including 10,000 phone numbers and home addresses, as well as 1,700 modem passwords. The company has apologized to its customers and is working closely with external IT and cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident.

The attacks on Colt and iiNet come as a reminder of the growing threat to critical infrastructure worldwide. In Norway, pro-Russian hackers seized control of a dam in April, opening a floodgate and letting water flow undetected for four hours. In Poland, a cyberattack nearly shut down the water supply to a major city last week, but was thwarted at the last minute.

Experts warn that the use of AI to automate attacks has made it increasingly difficult for organizations to defend themselves. “Cybercriminals are using AI to automate attacks, and only AI-augmented cybersecurity can defend against it,” said Tony Jarvis, field CISO and vice president for the APJ region at Darktrace.

The attacks on critical infrastructure have raised concerns about the vulnerability of these systems to cyber threats. “With reports of stolen data being put up for sale, this is the kind of incident every organisation dreads,” said Darren Williams, founder and CEO of BlackFog.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, experts recommend that organizations prioritize cybersecurity and invest in stronger visibility over and insights into their third-party providers’ cyber posture. This includes updating passwords regularly, enabling multi-factor authentication, and installing anti-virus software on devices used to access online accounts.

In addition, experts suggest that organizations should:

• Implement robust incident response plans to quickly contain and respond to cyber incidents
• Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities
• Invest in AI-powered cybersecurity solutions to detect and prevent attacks
• Educate employees on cybersecurity best practices and phishing prevention
• Regularly update and patch software and systems to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities

The attacks on Colt and iiNet highlight the need for organizations to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity and invest in robust security measures to protect against the growing threat of ransomware and data theft.