Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure (CI) have evolved from isolated incidents to coordinated campaigns by both state and non-state actors. Cyber threats have become increasingly sophisticated and frequent, particularly those that leverage artificial intelligence (AI). Technologists have noted that AI-powered cyberattacks can bypass traditional defenses, with recent breakout times as short as fifty-one seconds, illustrating the rapid evolution of these threats. These advancements are further exacerbated by China’s increasing offensive cyber capabilities that pose rising threats to CIs, thereby shrinking response windows and making real-time defense capabilities essential. A closed-door discussion titled “Safeguarding Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure” was organized at the Global Technology Summit 2025, co-hosted by Carnegie India and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The event brought together cybersecurity experts from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and France, along with industry leaders, legal experts, academics, and senior Indian policymakers. The discussion aimed to identify vulnerabilities in CI protection, discuss ways to enhance national cybersecurity resilience through international cooperation for incident response, and deliberate coordination required between government, the private sector, and international partners for protecting CI. Based on the discussion, this essay outlines four key challenges: varying definitions of CI across countries, gaps in international cooperation for norm enforcement, difficulties in public-private information sharing, and vulnerabilities in the hardware supply chain.
Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure: Key Challenges in Global Cybersecurity (Nidhi Singh – Carnegie India)
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