Critical Infrastructure on Jorge Laurel

Why the Chips, Power, and Data Centers Behind AI Can't Keep Up

Sat, 16 May 2026 12:49:47 +0000

In late March, heavy Claude users started posting screenshots of something very odd, their five hour usage limits were running out in twenty minutes. Anthropic blamed peak hour demand and blocked third party tools from using its flat rate plans. OpenAI quietly shut down its Sora video platform around the same time as its Codex tool surged past four million developers per week. What looked like routine product decisions were actually the first visible signs of an infrastructure problem that is only going to get harder to solve.

Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy for 2024-2027: An Overview

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 20:57:00 +0000

The Department of Defense (DoD) has unveiled its ambitious Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Cybersecurity Strategy for Fiscal Years 2024-2027. This forward-looking strategy lays out a detailed roadmap to strengthen cybersecurity and cyber resiliency within the DIB, aligning closely with overarching national defense and cybersecurity strategies. At the heart of this strategy is a multilayered approach to enhancing governance structures, boosting cybersecurity postures, ensuring the preservation of critical capabilities in cyber-contested environments, and fostering improved collaboration across the DIB.

Beyond the Perimeter: Advancing Zero Trust Maturity with Network and Environment Strategies

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 15:00:00 +0000

On 5 March 2024, the National Security Agency (NSA) issued a Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI) titled “Advancing Zero Trust Maturity Throughout the Network and Environment Pillar” aimed at enhancing network defenses by restricting adversaries’ lateral movements. It emphasizes the necessity of adopting a Zero Trust framework, which includes rigorous internal network controls and segmentation to prevent unauthorized access to critical data and systems.

NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce highlighted the importance of recognizing internal threats and actively countering potential breaches by stating “Organizations need to operate with a mindset that threats exist within the boundaries of their systems. This guidance is intended to arm network owners and operators with the processes they need to vigilantly resist, detect, and respond to threats that exploit weaknesses or gaps in their enterprise architecture.”

Small Targets, Big Impact: Why Securing SMBs is Critical for National Security

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

As digital transformation reshapes the economy, safeguarding critical infrastructure has become vital. Critical infrastructure refers to systems essential for societal and economic operations, now frequently targeted by cyber threats. Adversaries recognize the strategic value of critical infrastructure and exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt services, steal sensitive data, or cause chaos.

Despite their size, the role of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in protecting this infrastructure is often underestimated yet it is critical in the broader strategy to defend against these threats. SMBs are key players in this defense against state actors, cybercriminals, and activists. Recognizing and enhancing SMBs’ role is fundamental to a comprehensive defense of our interconnected digital landscape.

Fortifying Critical Infrastructure: The Open-Source Software Security Imperative

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000

In our digital age, securing critical infrastructure must be THE key focus, given its foundational role in national security, economic stability, and public safety. For the past several months my team and I have been involved with the Open-Source Software Security Initiative (OS3I). The OS3I convenes Federal agencies and considers input from the open-source software community, civil society, and private sector stakeholders across the open-source software landscape to deliver policy solutions to secure and defend the open-source software ecosystem. This initiative underscores a collaborative effort to fortify the backbone of our society against escalating cyber threats, leveraging the collective expertise and innovation inherent in the open-source community to ensure a resilient and secure infrastructure for the future.

What is Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN)?

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 21:37:00 +0000

Imagine a world where critical infrastructure, like power grids and communication networks, are not controlled by governments or corporations, but by a web of interconnected individuals and communities. This is the vision of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN), a concept that is trying to reshape how we build, maintain, and secure the systems that underpin our modern lives. As a cybersecurity professional involved with public/private critical infrastructure, I find DePIN very interesting and also very concerning. In this article, I’ll attempt to describe the world of DePIN, exploring its potential while examining the security challenges it presents.