The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May 2021 highlighted the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber threats. The attackers exploited an inactive VPN account without multi-factor authentication (MFA) to gain initial access, disrupting fuel supply across the U.S. East Coast.
Five years later, the lessons learned from this incident remain relevant. Critical infrastructure is a prime target for state-backed actors seeking to disrupt operations and create pressure beyond the breached organization. Today, these actors are looking for persistence inside critical infrastructure networks, not just to steal data but to hold access that could be used in a crisis.
The initial attack path is familiar: threat actors exploit stolen credentials, unmanaged devices, compromised laptops, remote access tools, and weak access controls. Zero trust offers a security model that has become an operational necessity for organizations delivering essential services.
The Identity Threat Facing Critical Infrastructure
Advances in technology have made systems increasingly interconnected. CISA’s recent guidance on adapting zero-trust principles to operational technology (OT) environments reflects this change and new challenge: implicit trust creates unacceptable risk.
The Challenge of Implementing Zero Trust
Threat actors like Volt Typhoon specifically target critical infrastructure, using techniques designed to blend into normal network activity rather than trigger obvious alerts. U.S. agencies have warned that PRC state-sponsored actors have compromised and maintained access to critical infrastructure networks for years.
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Implementing Zero Trust: Why Identity Alone Isn’t Enough
Zero trust delivers a key defense against these types of attacks. However, while identity is central to zero trust, it cannot carry the full burden on its own. State-backed actors are skilled at stealing credentials, phishing users, hijacking sessions, and using legitimate tools to move quietly through networks.
Workforce Access: A Practical Step Toward Zero Trust
Most critical infrastructure organizations cannot redesign OT overnight. They cannot quickly replace every legacy system, remove every third-party dependency or rework decades of operational complexity without introducing new risks. But they can strengthen how employees access critical applications, data and systems.
Workforce access controls sit at the intersection of identity, endpoint security, and policy enforcement. They help security teams move beyond asking, “Is this the right user?” to also ask, “Is this the right user, on the right device, under the right conditions, for this specific resource?” Binding each identity to a device is key.
Conclusion
The challenge of implementing zero trust in critical infrastructure organizations is significant. However, by strengthening workforce access controls and enforcing policies based on device posture, user context, and sensitivity of resources, these organizations can reduce implicit trust and improve their security posture.
Source: Original article