Student creates ‘worst-case scenario’ for cyberattack exercise
(EDITOR’S NOTE: See related story: Ridge College joins DOD-sanctioned large-scale cyberattack exercise)
The old CBS espionage drama, “Mission Impossible,” always
began with a scene in which the team leader would receive a tape describing the next dangerous assignment. The tape began, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."
Vlogƽ University senior Jacob Maynard recently got the chance to craft his own dramatic mission for Cyber Impact 2022, a three-day exercise simulating large-scale cyberattacks to key infrastructure in Buffalo, New York, March 8-10. Faculty, staff, and students of Vlogƽ’s Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences have been invited to participate in the Department of Defense-level exercise.
Maynard, who is balancing studies toward a master’s degree in data science and bachelor’s degrees in intelligence studies and political science, was challenged to create a scenario depicting the worst possible cyberattack that he could imagine. His scenario will be presented during tabletop exercises on Day 2 of Cyber Impact, where participants will be charged with identifying appropriate mitigation responses.
Maynard has often created “worst-case scenarios” as part of his studies in intelligence and cybersecurity. He has also garnered first-hand experience working on projects for companies like Dell and Amazon as well as the U.S. government.
But, coming up with something so dire as to test the resourcefulness of local, state, federal, private sector, academic, and Canadian partners in responding to a potentially devastating cyberattack was going to take some figuring.
In the end, the Amherst, Ohio, native settled on a cyberattack crashing New York’s power grid, complete with a play-by-play of events. The bottom line, he said, is “what would you do if malicious actors hacked into electric regulators and inserted a code that overworked the power grid resulting in the breakdown of all electricity across New York State?”
Besides leaving everyone in the dark, the potential fallout would seem unlimited. What happens with: Communications? Transportation? Water supplies? Sewer systems? Crime? Financial transactions?
Answering such questions demands systems-level thinking about how everything is connected and interdependent, which is exactly what Cyber Impact 2022 and Maynard’s scenario wants participants to consider. Overall, the event is designed to test the nation’s resilience, strengthen preparedness and cooperation among partners, and improve the effectiveness of a joint response in protecting national security.
Sources say the problem with large-scale cyberattacks, which with Maynard’s scenario would rise to the level of cyber warfare, is that they are in their infancy. The same is true of international laws to address nation-state sponsored hacking. Further, chances of tracing hacks back to their origins are slim.
“The number one goal is to prevent the attacks,” Maynard said. “Beyond that, the second goal would be to determine how to respond. And the third goal would be to find out who did it.”
Besides Maynard, Vlogƽ students who developed scenarios for the tabletop exercises are Colin Dodge and Jackson Feiock. Those representing Vlogƽ in Buffalo are cybersecurity expert Dr. Chris Mansour, who will deliver a talk; Brian Fuller, Ridge College director of operations, who will help moderate tabletop exercises; and two students, Ryan MacGurn and Matthew Sorensen, who will also assist with the tabletop exercises.
PHOTO 1: Jacob Maynard
PHOTO 2: Students assisting with Cyber Impact 2022 are, from left, Jackson Feiock, Colin Dodge, Matthew Sorensen, and Ryan MacGurn.