This Week in Critical Infrastructure we look at proposals for implementation of infrastructure upgrades, a proposal from Great Britain to provide insurance for driverless vehicle incidents, and news on concerns surrounding cybersecurity in the public health sector.
From the Library of Congress, Clare Feikert-Ahalt discusses a law introduced in the Parliament of Great Britain that would compel insurance companies to provide payments to victims of accidents involving driverless cars and to cover the individual who activated the automation.
Fink Urges Privatization of Critical US Infrastructure
From The Financial Times, a report on Larry Fink, a chief executive advising the Trump Administration, and his argument for a major privatization of critical infrastructures like airports to bolster infrastructure security. Fink is advocating for a new system of federally subsidized bonds to finance infrastructure projects and to replace the traditional system of issuing municipal bonds.
Culprit Broadcast Signal that Triggered Dallas’ Emergency Broadcast Sirens Friday Night
This article by Robert Wilonsky from Dallas News reports that Dallas city officials have discovered that the Dallas emergency sirens that were triggered in a breach last Friday were caused by either a radio or telephone signal rather than a computer hack. While no suspect has been named, the city has brought the emergency system back online and added encryption protections which previously did not exist.
Budget Woes Hinder US Cybersecurity Buildup
For The Hill, Morgan Chalfant reports on concerns that Congress’ reliance on continuing resolutions for the federal budget, as a result of an inability to pass a full budget, is hindering the nation’s ability to properly fund cybersecurity efforts. Experts argue that stopgap budget measures lack the flexibility needed to address cybersecurity issues like civilian workforce shortages and critical IT upgrades.
Global Investors Lose Billions to Cyber Attacks, Report Says
From Ryan Browne at CNBC, a report released by CGI and Oxford Economics indicates that cyber-attacks cost investors at least $52.4 billion globally from 2013-2016. The report notes that of the companies studied, share prices of companies dropped an average of 1.8% on a permanent basis following a cyber-attack.
Is it Time for a U.S. (Cyber) Health Service?
From GCN, Paul McCloskey argues that common characteristics between the cybersecurity and public health communities call for cyber policy to be modeled on lessons learned from the public health sector, such as using containment strategies employed in fighting epidemics toward preventing the spread of malware.
FDA, Industry Fear Wave of Medical-device Hacks
From Casey Harper at The Hill, the FDA and health industry experts are expecting a potential wave of cyber attacks against medical devices in the wake of rising number of medical records compromised by hackers in recent years. The FDA has advised manufacturers to harden their devices as regulators prepare a response strategy for a major medical device attack.