back to article BIGGEST THREAT to Europe’s cybersecurity? Hint: not hackers

Forget cyber-espionage, cyber-warfare and cyber-terrorism. The biggest threat to Europe’s infrastructure cybersecurity are power outages and poor communication. On Thursday, ENISA (European Network and Information Security Agency) held its biggest ever cybersecurity exercise involving more than 200 organisations and 400 cyber- …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "military personnel in camouflage uniforms"

    So in this case, Think-geek/El Reg/Gaming Tee shirts, jeans if linux Laptops, suits and maybe El Reg underwear if Windows Laptops and Barrista uniforms and El Reg tattoos around Apple laptops?

    Of course, it would sensible plaid shirts, chinos, a nice sport jacket and beards if Unix was on 'em.*

    I love Cliches. I'll just get my M65 field jacket...

    *Possibly an El Reg bandanna. Not sure about this one.

  2. David Pollard

    NHS care data

    It would be interesting to know how much of a threat the theft of data from the projected NHS database might present, if indeed this is among the 2,000 cyber-threats being considered.

    The direct costs, perhaps requiring a re-issue of all NHS numbers, and a deal of chaos in treatments, could be substantial. Maybe the greater threat would be from opportunities for blackmail and coercion and the opening up of opportunities for spear fishing.

    Given that the main benefit from the database is supposed to be from statistical use of data collated nation-wide, could this not be achieved with pre-processing at a local level and with truly anonymous statistics sent securely from individual practices, clinics and hospitals? This would obviate the requirement for a potentially vulnerable central store of records.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BISCUITS!!!

    Is it Biscuits?

  4. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    The GOD's Honest Truth ....... for/from Global Operating Devices?!.

    But Steve Purser, Head of Operations at ENISA explained: “The biggest threats we really see are not attacks, but hardware and software failures.”

    Beware the free rogue state and renegade non-state actors who realise and virtualise such events as take full advantage of what are both in hardware and software and in reality, also human intelligence failures and failings.

  5. heyrick Silver badge

    But will this be of much use?

    It is all very well testing your defences when you know there is a test and everybody is on board. It's likely to be a very different scenario if the real thing should come to pass.

    To give you an example from a place I used to work, we had fire drills every so often. They were not announced to the workers but you could get a clue if you spot management standing by the doors with clipboards in hand just beforehand. And the sirens would sound and we'd all trot out. Ho hum.

    One time the fire brigade got involved and a "repairman" (actually a fireman out of uniform) did something to make a bang and some smoke. The result? Chaos. It turns out that people behave differently when they think the building is about to blow up. Whoodathunkit?

  6. Julian Bradfield

    The event is biennial, not biannual.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like