DefenseScoop reports that the Army Cyber Command has looked to bolster its defenses against cybersecurity threats against the U.S. critical infrastructure, especially those from Chinese cyberespionage group Volt Typhoon, which was previously reported to use living-off-the-land techniques to infiltrate critical infrastructure, at this year’s Cyber Yankee exercise.
Such an initiative, which was established a decade ago to address cyber policy and partnership inadequacies, has included simulations replicating Volt Typhoon attacks against utility firms in a bid to improve both parties’ awareness regarding their respective capabilities.
Aside from focusing on strengthening its living-off-the-land technique identification capabilities, the Army Cyber Command noted that it has also prioritized improving cyber defenses at hydroelectric power plants and supply depots through extensive industrial control system security training.
“What got everyone’s attention is the seeming paradigm shift from cyber exploitation and traditional military targets or industry targets for foreign intelligence or espionage… to a new set of targets — aviation, water, energy, transportation. In other words, our critical infrastructure,” said Army Cyber Command Commander Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett.