Why do power systems hospitals and air traffic control depend on secure information systems?

Power systems, hospitals, and air traffic control systems depend on secure information systems because they form the critical infrastructure upon which the fabric of modern society relies. These sectors manage essential services where the integrity and safety of system resources are paramount; a failure in these systems can have catastrophic real-world consequences.12

The reliance on secure information systems is driven by several factors:

• Operational Continuity: These sectors utilize complex, interconnected networks to function. For instance, air traffic control and intensive care units rely on these systems for real-time monitoring and decision-making. Any disruption or unauthorized access could lead to loss of life or large-scale service failures.12
• Vulnerability to Threats: As infrastructure becomes more digitized—such as the transition toward a smart grid for power delivery—the number of potential entry points for cyberattacks increases. Malicious actors could potentially reroute airline traffic, disable safety protocols at critical facilities, or cause widespread power outages.32
• System Integrity: Because these systems are often interdependent, they require robust security measures, such as firewalls and data encryption, to prevent single points of failure from compromising the entire network.134