Quango Conflicts Stifle Change
As much as the CPNI and BEIS want to secure up the UK, organisations that determine funding for public services aren’t going to fork over the cash because utility X says it needs more cash. Not against a backdrop of widespread fuel poverty and alledged profiteering at consumer expense. Put BEIS and OFWAT or OFGEM in the same room as each other, all they will do is argue, get nowhere, and then look for the utilities to make their cost-benefit analysis on their behalf. Now, If that CBA doesn’t stack up for the consumer to fund it, it sure as hell isn’t going to persuade utilities to fork out of profit to do it itself. Not without some sort of legal direction to do so. In the meantime threat actors will continue to lap up the ongoing inaction of our government paralysed by the B word.
The problem with high impact, low probability event analysis is that they never survive the cost benefit analysis. Certain regulators don’t believe they are threats, or they would be pushing through funding and mandatory replacement targets for vulnerable systems. What would change the HILP mindset is an actual attack on our own backdoor. Never say never. Saudi Aramco, for instance... or The likely state sponsored attacks in Ukraine. At which point it’s too late cue water bowsers en masse, water rationing, or widespread energy disconnections.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
