Join the cyber drill trend with major American companies today

TLDR:

• Major American companies participated in a joint cyber drill with government agencies to simulate a cyberattack on customer-facing operations.
• The drill was held following increased declassification of information about hacking threats against critical infrastructure, particularly from China.

Employees from companies like Mastercard and AT&T joined the government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in a joint cyber drill to simulate a cyberattack on customer-facing operations. The exercise, known as the Tri-Sector Cyber Defense Exercise, involved teams split into hackers and defenders. The urgency for the drill stemmed from increased threats against critical infrastructure, with recent successful breaches on municipal water systems by Iranian hackers. The drill aimed to prepare large US enterprises for potential cyberattacks on infrastructure like power generation and distribution systems. This is especially crucial as hacker groups target critical infrastructure to hold them ransom or shut them down entirely. The drill involved red and blue teams emulating malicious attackers and defenders, respectively, working together to detect, respond to, and contain cyber attacks. The exercise highlighted the need for increased coordination between private sector companies and federal agencies to safeguard critical infrastructure. While the drill was beneficial for the skilled enterprises that participated, plans are in place to host similar events annually to include more critical infrastructure companies and enhance preparedness. Smaller companies can also benefit from conducting their own cyber security drills to test their defenses and improve their overall cybersecurity posture.