Former NSA Advisor Warns: U.S. Infrastructure at Risk in Potential Cyberattack

Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger made a grim assessment last week when she said she doesn’t have confidence in the country’s critical infrastructure when during the possibility of a cyberattack.

Addressing the AI Expo for National Competitiveness, Neuberger cautioned that an aggressive digital attack could “affect a large portion of critical American systems.”

Her worries are a result of old technology that is part of critical infrastructure, systems not originally built for internet connectivity, and an ongoing cybersecurity gap in OT when compared to IT systems. “If they are interested in shutting us down by attacking our infrastructure, they have plenty of targets to reach,” said Neuberger, who held the post in the Biden administration.

Compounding the concern, Neuberger emphasized the harm caused by reductions in the workforce at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), explaining that it’s especially problematic when highly skilled cyber defenders are lost amid rising threats.

The continued budget cuts and staff layoffs at CISA, the government agency responsible for securing government systems and critical infrastructure, have officials worrying that a “brain drain” could further cripple the nation’s cyberpowers.

The alert comes against a backdrop of escalating cyber threats from state-sponsored groups, the majority of which are associated with China and Russia. Recent accounts also suggest that Chinese state-connected hackers already established a presence in U.S. critical infrastructure networks, effectuating the groundwork for disruptive or even destructive attacks during tense geopolitical times.

Likewise, Iran-associated and pro-Russia cyber actors have been found to intrude networks and control systems, manipulate controls and alter movement of H2O and sewage, food and agriculture, and health care , and read email and appointment schedule information from webmail accounts.

Neuberger, meanwhile, said the nation should rethink both its cyber defense strategies and its use of AI tools for spotting vulnerabilities in older systems. She also emphasized partnership and intelligence-sharing with allies to fight increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The ex-NSA adviser’s stark warning is a timely reminder of the widespread nature, and mutation, of digital threats and a call-to-action to bolster the country’s core infrastructure against an ever more hostile digital backdrop.