A new risk assessment by the European Union has found plenty to worry about when it comes to the resilience to cyber attacks of the continent’s telecom, as well as electricity, sectors, according to the European Commission. Supply chain security, a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, and threats from cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors top the list of challenges facing telecom and electrical infrastructure. Ransomware, data wipers and zero-day vulnerabilities were also identified as ongoing but pressing concerns.
“For the telecommunications sector, the main threats include attacks via roaming infrastructures and attacks originating from large bot networks,” the report said. “In addition, the physical sabotage of cable infrastructure and the jamming of satellite signals were identified as specific risks that are particularly difficult to mitigate.”
The risk assessment was the first such exercise performed by EU Member States, with the support of the European Commission and ENISA (the EU Agency for Cybersecurity). The risk evaluation identified technical and non-technical risks, especially regarding 5G rollout and renewable energy infrastructures.
To mitigate these risks, the report suggests resilience can be improved through sharing good practices on mitigating ransomware, vulnerability monitoring, human resources security and asset management. Cooperation also should be encouraged between technical member states’ networks, the computer security incident response teams, law enforcement and international partners, the EU said in a press release.
Member states of the EU should conduct further self-assessments, according to the EU. “Collective cyber situational awareness and information sharing needs to be improved and include the geopolitical context, potential physical harm and disinformation,” the organization said. “Contingency planning, crisis management and operational collaboration needs to be improved by shortening lines between sectors and cybersecurity authorities in procedures.”
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
Reader Interactions