Cyber is a recognized space where a war can take place. The U.S. has a government body – the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – that leads efforts to prevent attacks in the United States, and it has a military command – U.S. Cyber Command – that conducts defensive and offensive cyber operations in support of the country.
Cyberattacks can mean major consequences for human lives by disrupting the flow of energy, water or food – all of which are “life-sustaining, life-advancing or life-supporting,” said Red Curry, CMO at Tautuk. And according to his brother, Sam Curry, vice president and CISO at Zscaler, the impact of a cyberattack can have is bigger than it’s ever been. Red Curry added that critical infrastructure will be targeted more and more in the future to create maximum chaos and disruption.
Creating chaos and disruption is one thing a cyberwar is good for, and Sam Curry offered other possible reasons for someone to perpetrate an attack on critical infrastructure – to tactically help the attacker in combat, to demoralize the people the attacker is fighting against, and to affect critical capabilities at just the right point in time to help the attacker and hurt their adversary.
In this episode of CyberEd.io‘s podcast series “Cybersecurity Insights,” the Curry brothers also discussed:
- How ransomware attackers sometimes may not know how far-reaching the effects of their attacks can be;
- The “security investment paradox” and why it is difficult to drive change in cybersecurity systems;
- How to address the growing number of attacks against IoT devices.
Sam Curry previously served as chief security officer at Cybereason and chief technology and security officer at Arbor Networks. Prior to that, he spent more than seven years at RSA – the security division of EMC – in a variety of senior management positions, including chief strategy officer, chief technologist and senior vice president of product management and product marketing. Curry also has held senior roles at Microstrategy, Computer Associates and McAfee.
Red Curry has over 20 years of experience leading creative and strategic teams for companies such as RSA/EMC, Mettler Toledo, and SSH Communications Security. He has more than a decade of experience safeguarding sensitive data and combating cyberthreats. His work spans various industries, including manufacturing, retail and technology, and he generates ideas that enhance brand recognition and help companies distinguish themselves in today’s competitive business environment.