Critical Infrastructure Under Siege: Cisco Talos' Power Play
Joe Marshall on How Project PowerUp Helped Address Power Grid Crisis in Wartime
Maintaining a stable power grid is always challenging. When the war in Ukraine disrupted its GPS capabilities - crucial for power grid synchronization - Cisco Talos assembled a team of experts to address the issue. This collaboration, known as Project PowerUp, ensured Ukraine's power grid remained stable despite targeted attacks on critical infrastructure.
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Joe Marshall, a senior security strategist at Cisco Talos who spearheaded Project PowerUp, said GPS is essential for synchronizing power grids - akin to a marching band that must precisely coordinate everyone's movements - and losing GPS can create significant problems.
"Power grid work at its best is incredibly dangerous. We're talking high voltages. Something breaks in … a storm, and we have to go do vegetation management," he said.
His team's rapid response was vital to maintaining power amid the conflict, and the attacks illustrate the potential disruption to operations. "We think about converging technologies - from information technology to operational technology. Convergence is fine, but business imperatives drive these things, whether you're in utility or manufacturing."
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at Black Hat 2024, Marshall also discussed:
- The challenges of maintaining power grids under attack;
- The importance of securing executive buy-in amid geopolitical conflicts;
- Lessons from Ukraine's infrastructure resilience.
At Cisco Talos, Marshall leads a team of researchers focused on identifying vulnerabilities in ICS systems. He also educates and advises customers and industry leaders on emerging security threats to critical infrastructure, including electrical grids, manufacturing facilities and water pipelines.
