Cyberdefense of Critical Urban Infrastructure

Negotiation in the cyber realm presents a significantly different dynamic from person-to-person negotiations typical of the boardroom, since there is no chance to read the face of the other side. As a target of a cyber attack, you may have limited opportunity to negotiate in real time, and you probably will have no ability to ascertain the culture or values of the hacker. With critical infrastructure being under constant attack by hackers – both state-sponsored and hobbyists- operators, public officials, and project managers must be prepared to negotiate with cyber terrorists. Our research involves working with managers of critical urban infrastructure to simulate attacks and help them develop a cyber negotiation playbook.

The MIT Cybersecurity Clinic works with cities and towns, particularly in New England, to help them reduce their vulnerability to cyberattacks. Our approach is to work directly with public agencies or elected officials to assess their vulnerabilities and suggest low-cost improvements they can make.