Enhancing Cyber-Physical Resilience: A Call to Action by PCAST

In today's fast-paced digital era, the intertwining of cyber and physical systems is the norm, with critical services such as water supply, electricity, banking, and communication relying heavily on these cyber-physical systems. However, this integration has made these systems more vulnerable to threats from a variety of sources, including nation-states, terrorist organizations, criminals, natural disasters, and even minor accidents. The consequences of these disruptions can be especially severe for vulnerable and underserved populations, as demonstrated by events such as the 2021 Texas power outage and the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline.

To address these challenges, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has developed a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure. This strategy emphasizes the need for a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors to focus attention and investment on improving cyber-physical infrastructure resilience.

The report's key recommendations include setting performance goals for critical infrastructure, bolstering and coordinating research and development to understand and mitigate risks, breaking down silos to strengthen government cyber-physical resilience capacity, and increasing accountability and flexibility among industry leaders. These recommendations seek to build a more resilient infrastructure capable of surviving, recovering from, and adapting to a variety of threats and challenges.

The report also emphasizes the importance of AI in cyber-physical resilience, recognizing both its potential benefits and risks. As AI technology advances, it provides opportunities for improving defense mechanisms while also posing new security and reliability challenges.

Finally, the report emphasizes the urgent need for a collaborative effort to improve the resilience of our critical infrastructure. By implementing these recommendations, we can ensure that our cyber-physical systems are better equipped to deal with the complexities of the digital world while continuing to provide critical services to the public.