The state of Connecticut has issued what it’s calling a comprehensive strategy to combat cybersecurity threats. The strategy brings together seven principles, which the state hopes will guide an action plan to safeguard vital infrastructure from malicious attack.
The project is headed up by Arthur House, the former head of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, who is now in the new role of Cybersecurity Risk Officer.
He told a news conference Monday it’s really not a question of if, but when a major attack will be launched against public infrastructure like the electric grid.
“This is new,” he said. “This is not a more powerful hurricane, or a stronger ice storm. This is an order of magnitude of difference, and we cannot wait for a disaster to take this seriously. We need to plan, we need to rehearse, we need to anticipate that somewhere in the country there will be a cyberattack on critical infrastructure, and we in Connecticut need to be ready for that.”
The state’s Chief Information Officer Mark Raymond said residents of the state can also benefit from following the strategy, and practical tips to secure their personal devices. He said we’re all too willing to trust technology.
“Think of it this way,” said Raymond. “We all have a collection of very dangerous things in our homes, from detergents and cleaning products to electricity. We lock these items away; we childproof our homes, and we learn at an early age that we should not be sticking things into electrical outlets. That’s the basic level of understanding that we need for everyone to build around cybersecurity.”
The state has said it also wants to partner with municipalities, educational institutions, and private businesses to implement better online security.
