Two Crises, One Message: Our Digital Infrastructure is at Risk
In the same week, we saw two stark reminders of how dependent our world has become on the mostly invisible networks that support our everyday lives.
First, a malicious exploit targeting F5 network devices allowed hackers to gain remote access to critical systems across the industrial landscape. Then, just days later, an AWS outage, triggered by internal technical faults, disrupted operations for multiple organizations and connected individuals worldwide.
Two very different causes. One unnerving reality: our digital infrastructure is fragile, vulnerable, and increasingly interconnected with physical systems.
Background: What Happened and Why It Matters
F5 Networks, a key cybersecurity and traffic management vendor used by many Fortune 500 firms, suffered a breach that reportedly lasted over a year. Attackers gained access to source code and sensitive vulnerability data—putting F5’s customers at future risk. In effect, attackers didn’t just target a company, they gained potential access to the systems that protect countless other organizations.
At the same time, Amazon Web Services experienced a technical fault in its internal monitoring systems, triggering widespread outages across the US East region. This impacted services ranging from retail apps to logistics platforms, banking services, and public websites.
Different threat vectors. Same result: service disruption, public confusion, and organizational scramble.
But these aren’t isolated events—they’re indicative of a deeper challenge.
Digital Infrastructure is Critical Infrastructure
For years, we treated digital infrastructure (e.g. cloud services, networking devices, authentication systems) as something separate from the physical grid: a convenience layer that enabled business. Today, they are inseparable.
Here’s how that’s playing out across industries:
- Water utilities depend on SCADA systems, often network-connected, for pressure monitoring and automated flow control. In 2021, a hacker attempted to poison the water supply of Oldsmar, Florida, by manipulating a remote-access system, a chilling reminder that the digital-physical convergence is real.
- Energy companies increasingly rely on digital sensors and cloud analytics to manage grid load and maintain uptime. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 paralyzed 45% of the East Coast’s fuel supply—not because the physical pipes were damaged, but because the company shut them down after its IT systems were compromised.
- Public safety networks, including 911 systems and emergency communications, are now cloud-hosted in many regions. A widespread cloud service outage isn’t just a business continuity issue, it’s a public safety risk.
From electric substations to hospital networks to traffic control systems, our reliance on digital systems has become a national dependency. That makes them not only fragile, but attractive targets.
Why Are These Systems Being Targeted?
Three core reasons:
- High Impact, Low Visibility: Attackers know that disrupting a core service provider, like a DNS provider, cloud host, or security vendor, can have cascading impacts. These systems operate behind the scenes, often with limited public visibility, making them ideal for attackers looking to create outsized damage.
- Expanding Attack Surface: As organizations adopt more IoT devices, SaaS tools, and remote access systems, the number of potential entry points skyrockets. And in many industries, security hygiene struggles to keep up with innovation.
- Financial and Geopolitical Incentives: Whether it’s ransomware groups seeking quick payouts or state-sponsored actors probing national infrastructure, the motivations are growing. Infrastructure attacks can sow political unrest, manipulate markets, or erode public trust, all without firing a single bullet.
What the Future Holds: Digital Risk is Now a National Conversation
As we continue to digitize essential sectors (i.e. finance, utilities, public health, and beyond) the line between an “IT incident” and a national disruption will only become blurrier.
This raises several important implications:
- Cyber and Operational Risk Must Converge: Security teams can’t afford to silo their response strategies. The same investigative approach used for a phishing attack must extend to a cloud misconfiguration or a SCADA network alert. Unified workflows, shared data environments, and cross-department collaboration will be essential.
- Resilience is About Continuity, Not Just Defense: Preventing a breach is no longer enough. Utilities, energy providers, and public agencies must design for failure, ensuring rapid recovery, transparent communications, and operational continuity even when core digital systems go offline.
- Risk Is a Shared Burden: Whether you’re a utility operator, a software vendor, or a regional CSO, resilience is no longer an isolated metric. You’re only as strong as your weakest integration point—whether that’s a third-party provider or an overlooked access credential.
Security convergence is no longer optional, it’s essential to defending against today’s complex cyber threats. Explore proven methods and strategies in our Security Convergence Guide.
The Message is Clear
The F5 exploit and AWS outage were reminders, but not outliers. They highlight a deeper truth: the systems we rely on for daily life—water, power, logistics, emergency response—are now inextricably tied to digital infrastructure.
And while these systems offer unprecedented efficiency and scalability, they also carry risk. Risk that is diffuse, fast-moving, and often misunderstood.
Resilience must now be intentional. It’s no longer about avoiding the storm, it’s about building systems that can weather it.
Learn More: How Kaseware Supports Resilience in Critical Infrastructure
Kaseware helps critical infrastructure organizations unify their security operations—bringing together cyber and physical incident response, case management, and threat intelligence into one intuitive platform. Whether you’re managing NERC CIP compliance, coordinating multi-agency investigations, or streamlining response across field teams and HQ, Kaseware is designed to help you anticipate threats, respond faster, and protect what matters most.
Consult your legal team for specific requirements related to CIP-8, CIP-14, and other regulatory frameworks.
Author
John Gill
Executive Vice President of Business Development
