The Race to Secure Critical Infrastructure: From Data Centers to Shipping Lanes
22 July 2026 - A Weekly Publication by New North Ventures
The conflict in the Gulf is no longer defined solely by missiles, oil tankers, or the Strait of Hormuz. According to a recent Atlantic Council analysis, the region’s true front line now runs through interconnected critical infrastructure including water, cloud computing, undersea communications cables, and the digital systems that link them. Recent attacks demonstrated how modern conflicts can disrupt entire economies without directly targeting military assets, exposing vulnerabilities that extend far beyond the battlefield.
Hybrid warfare is increasingly focused on civilian infrastructure. GPS spoofing disrupted the navigation of more than 1,100 vessels in a single day, cyberattacks against cloud infrastructure spilled over into banking and payment systems, and strikes on desalination plants threatened the primary source of freshwater for Gulf nations. At the same time, cyberattacks across the UAE surged dramatically, illustrating how physical and digital attacks are now executed in tandem to maximize economic and societal disruption.
Another growing concern is the Gulf’s role as a global digital chokepoint. Beyond transporting a significant share of the world’s energy, the region is also home to critical undersea fiber optic cables that carry international internet traffic and connect massive AI data centers across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The conflict has already delayed major cable deployment projects, underscoring how adversaries can threaten global connectivity without ever severing a cable.
Future resilience will require governments to think beyond protecting individual assets. Water systems, energy infrastructure, cloud providers, financial networks, communications cables, and cyber defenses must be secured as one integrated architecture because attacks on any single node can quickly cascade across the entire system. For national security leaders and investors, the lesson is clear: tomorrow’s strategic competition will increasingly be fought through critical infrastructure and the digital networks that underpin modern economies.
US and Allies Warn Russian Hackers Are Targeting Critical Infrastructure Routers
A new joint cybersecurity advisory from the United States and 12 allied nations warns that Russian state backed hackers are actively targeting vulnerable routers and networking devices to gain access to critical infrastructure worldwide. The campaign, attributed to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), focuses on exploiting weak passwords, outdated software, and poorly configured edge devices. The goal is to quietly infiltrate sectors including energy, communications, healthcare, transportation, water, and defense. Once inside, attackers steal network configurations and credentials that can enable long term espionage or future disruptive cyber operations.
The advisory urges organizations to treat routers as critical security assets rather than routine networking equipment. Recommended defenses include replacing default credentials, patching known vulnerabilities, disabling unnecessary services, implementing multi-factor authentication, and closely monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity. The warning underscores a broader trend in modern cyber warfare: adversaries are increasingly targeting overlooked infrastructure components to establish persistent access to systems that underpin national security and the global economy.
Opening Remarks: Congressional Wargame on AI-Enabled Cyber Threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure
At a recent CSIS Congressional War Game, lawmakers and national security experts examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping the cyber threat landscape facing U.S. critical infrastructure. The exercise explored a scenario in which China has highly advanced AI capabilities, enabling faster, more sophisticated cyberattacks against essential sectors such as energy, communications, transportation, and other critical infrastructure. While the opening remarks were public, the war game itself was conducted behind closed doors with members of the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Select Committee on China to assess potential vulnerabilities and policy responses.
The event underscores a growing consensus in Washington that AI is transforming cybersecurity into a strategic competition between nations. AI can dramatically accelerate the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber operations, allowing adversaries to identify vulnerabilities, automate attacks, and coordinate disruptions across interconnected systems. By convening policymakers in a realistic war game environment, CSIS aims to help Congress better understand the risks posed by AI-enabled cyber warfare and inform future investments in cyber resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and national security preparedness.
More links to explore:
Space Force triples launch contract ceiling amid rising demand
US Army teams up with Auriga Space to build electromagnetic counter-drone tech
HawkEye 360 Details Tactical Direct Downlink in Valiant Shield Exercise
New North Ventures portfolio company HawkEye 360 demonstrated tactical direct downlink capabilities during the multilateral Valiant Shield military training exercise, working alongside Lockheed Martin to establish a machine-to-machine data pipeline. The demonstration showcased HawkEye 360's ability to deliver signals intelligence directly to operational units in near real time, bypassing traditional ground station relay architectures that introduce latency and operational complexity. This capability is critical for time sensitive targeting and situational awareness in contested environments where adversaries can relocate or adapt faster than traditional intelligence dissemination cycles allow.
The successful integration with Lockheed Martin systems during a large scale military exercise signals growing demand for commercially provided space based RF intelligence that can be operationalized at tactical edges.
Thanks for reading Securing Our Future! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.