The World Meteorological Association’s 2020 Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, stated that the odds of average global temperatures increasing by 1.5C above pre-industrial levels are imminent – and could spell disaster in the form of melting polar ice, higher sea levels, more intense heat waves, and other extreme weather. This seemingly marginal increase in temperature will have ripple effects on human health, food security, economies, and living resources worldwide.
Public and private organizations in the U.S. and abroad have prioritized funding to assess, predict, and respond to environmental issues and disasters. Government agencies such as the EPA, NOAA, and DHS, are investing billions in developing robust cyber command and control systems to address sustainability and build long term infrastructure resilience to climate-related issues.
For instance, a group of cyber hackers gained access to a German steel company’s network through phishing methods in 2015. The attack purposely messed with the systems of the company, effectively compromising production control and the blast furnace. As a result, the furnaces could not be shut down and greatly damaged the properties and the environment.
In 2011, Russian hackers compromised computer infrastructure controlling drinking water supply in two U.S. cities. These hackers took control of the pump linked to distributing drinking water and forcibly broke it by repeatedly turning the valves on and off, cutting off the access of thousands of homes to clean and safe drinking water. This endangered the lives of many citizens and established cyber crime as a tangible threat to human health and national security.
In 2014, cyber terrorists attacked four NOAA websites. Although NOAA successfully triaged the attacks with no significant impact to operations or data, the incident made evident the cybersecurity challenges Federal agencies face with respect to protecting information technology (IT) systems and assets from external and internal threats.
Because numerous organizations and agencies that handle critical infrastructures such as oil, chemical, water, power, and gas rely heavily on computer networks and systems, it is critical for them to bolster their cybersecurity. This includes hiring more cybersecurity professionals who can help thwart trending cyberattacks such as ransomware, which is malware that’s meant to threaten organizations into paying a bounty in exchange for the safety of their private data. There’s a high demand for cybersecurity experts today, with more than 465,000 open positions according to a tech job-tracking database.
However, it has been difficult for organizations to hire cybersecurity professionals, as those who pursue a degree in computer science don’t always choose cybersecurity as their career track, and instead pivot to other fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, or data science. Thankfully, universities today understand how critical cybersecurity is to current global issues such as climate change and are now offering online software degrees with diverse and comprehensive curriculums. Today’s online degrees in software development don’t only help students develop an advanced understanding of the creation, presentation, and architecture of software and applications, they also instill the importance of building highly secure programs and software. And because these degrees can be completed remotely, this has enticed more students to choose this particular field, effectively filling the current professional gap in cybersecurity.
The effects of a cyber breach today are not limited to the organization or agency alone. If hackers target the network infrastructure of critical public and private agencies, it may lead to dangerous environmental disasters that can offset our climate change efforts and endanger innocent lives. For this reason, it is only prudent for today’s organizations to be aware of any threats and strengthen their cybersecurity. For more news and insights about cybersecurity, company culture, and project management, do check our blog here on IBSS Corporation.
About IBSSSince 1992, IBSS, a woman-owned small business, has provided transformational consulting services to the Federal defense, civilian, and commercial sectors. Our services include information technology, environmental science and engineering, and professional management solutions. Our approach is to serve our employees by investing in their growth and development. As a result, our employees bring greater capabilities and provide an exceptional level of service to our clients. Our tagline, Powered by Excellence, is a recognition of the employees that make up IBSS and ensure we deliver results with quality, applying industry best practices and certifications. We apply our services, certified ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001, ISO 20000, and CMMI, to deliver impactful consulting services to our clients.
