Understanding Cybersecurity Risks to Critical Infrastructure with Joe Weiss

In Episode 101 of the Afterburn Podcast, host John "Rain" Waters sits down with Joe Weiss, a nuclear engineer and pioneer in ICS cybersecurity, to discuss the critical importance of securing industrial control systems. With over 40 years of experience in industrial instrumentation, control systems, and automation, Joe sheds light on the vulnerabilities within our infrastructure that are often overlooked. From power plants and water systems to the complex networks that keep our daily lives running, Joe explains how these systems are at risk and what needs to be done to protect them. This eye-opening conversation is essential for anyone interested in cybersecurity, industrial systems, and the future of our nation's critical infrastructure.

Joe Weiss Blog: https://www.controlglobal.com/unfettered

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
01:29 Definition and Function of Industrial Control Systems
07:58 Vulnerabilities of Control Systems and the Need for Security
17:31 Cyber incidents: hacking, mistakes, and compromised data.
23:13 Pre-Stuxnet, cyber incidents were less apparent.
28:31 Unauthorized access, manipulation of critical systems exposed.
38:48 Stuxnet was a complex, unprecedentedly successful cyberattack.
44:13 Stuxnet showed attacks can look like malfunctions.
43:25 Unveiling the Vulnerabilities
44:48 The Deceptive Nature of Control System Vulnerabilities
49:55 The Lack of Imagination
53:45 Chinese Transformers and Cyber Vulnerabilities
56:23 Chinese Port Cranes and Extra Electronics
01:03:34 Real Physical Kinetic Damage
01:08:45 Nation-State Attacks on Water Utilities
01:12:38 Addressing Control System Cybersecurity

Keywords

industrial control systems, cybersecurity, control devices, vulnerabilities, Stuxnet attack, control systems, cyber threats, critical infrastructure, vulnerabilities, Stuxnet, water utilities, nation-state attacks, equipment malfunctions, cultural shift, technical preparedness