#tbt - Why Analog Systems Are Still Relevant
Bringing Old School Back
Landline phones, analog systems, walkie talkies, manually controlled machinery…remember these? There was a time in the pre-digitalized world where these solutions were part of everyday life. Now they are seen as outdated at best and useless at worst. However, as the world continues to fall short in preventing cyberattacks while increasingly relying on automated technology, non-networked devices may be the very thing we need.
In his book, Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers, Andy Greenberg described an interview he conducted with the former CEO of the Ukrainian Postal Service, Igor Smelyansky. During the interview, Smelyansky highlighted why the postal service had endured the 2017 NotPetya cyberattack more effectively than the rest of Ukrainian agencies. According to Greenberg, Smelyansky explained that when the service’s database of customer subscriptions shut down, the offices quickly recreated the information using paper subscription cards. When automated pension systems were destroyed, the pensions were distributed using cash. Smelyansky attributed this to the older generation of employees who were familiar with these backup services.
Standing on the Bank of Geer’s Rubicon
In his paper published by Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, author Daniel E. Geer, Jr. discusses the world’s reliance on the Internet. He argues that the only way to minimize this interdependence on networks is to seek out alternative methods which are disconnected from the Internet. Geer concludes:
“Countries that built complete analog physical plants have a signal advantage over countries that leapfrogged directly to full digitalization. The former countries have preservable and protective firebreaks in place that the latter will never have, but the former countries enjoy their resilience dividend if, and only if, they preserve their physical plant. That such preservation can deliver both resilience for the digitalized and continued freedom for those choosing not to participate in digitalization is unique to this historical moment.”
Geer later adds, “We stand on the bank of our Rubicon” - a historical reference to Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon River, which led to the Roman Civil War and Caesar’s eventual position of power. In a more modern context, Geer insinuates that we have reached the point of no return when it comes to the adoption of digital technology.
Conclusion
Reintroducing manual processes into the technological world will not help prevent cyberattacks or other types of system failures. But arguably, current methods of preventing cyberattacks are not succeeding either. No cybersecure practice or risk mitigation technique - analog or automated - can fully prevent a breach. However, analog systems can be effective in mitigating the effects of digital destruction and help organizations to recover more quickly. The world has an opportunity to increase its digital resilience by leveraging these non-networked approaches to ensure some continued operations and to increase recovery time. And it is imperative to teach younger generations these solutions so that they understand how to develop resilience. It is time we cross our Rubicon with a plan for resilience.
Interested in learning more about cyber resiliency and risk mitigation techniques? Check out the author’s article, Top 5 Tips for Small Business Resiliency, published in United States Cybersecurity Magazine.