Defending infrastructure under siege

Simon Dix at Bridewell explores the advantage of an MDR provider  

 

Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) organisations play a pivotal role in maintaining the stability and security of a nation’s essential services. From power grids and water supply networks to transportation and telecommunications, these sectors are fundamental to the functioning of society.

 

However, as cyber-threats grow increasingly sophisticated and relentless, CNI organisations must adapt security strategies to protect themselves ensuring uninterrupted service delivery.

 

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) providers offer a strategic advantage by delivering specialised expertise, cutting-edge security technologies and around-the-clock monitoring to combat the pressing security risks facing CNI organisations. The importance of a continuous security improvement (CSI) model partnering with an MDR provider can optimise security investments while enhancing national security as well as trust in digital systems.

 

Biggest security risks for CNI

CNI organisations face a variety of security risks, but one of the most critical challenges is the widespread reliance on legacy systems. Many organisations assume their existing infrastructure is "too critical" to update, leading to an accumulation of outdated systems that lack modern security controls.

 

This creates vulnerabilities that cyber-attackers can exploit, increasing the risk of service disruptions, financial losses and reputational damage.

 

Legacy systems and cyber-risk

Legacy systems are often deeply embedded within CNI operations, making them difficult to replace or upgrade without causing significant disruption. However, these systems were not designed to withstand today’s cyber-threats. Common vulnerabilities in legacy environments include: 

• Unpatched software: Many older systems no longer receive security updates, leaving them exposed to known exploits. 
• Lack of network segmentation: Older systems may be interconnected in ways that allow a breach in one area to spread quickly. 
• Insecure protocols: Legacy infrastructure may still use outdated communication protocols that lack encryption or authentication mechanisms. 
• Inadequate monitoring: Traditional security tools may struggle to detect threats within legacy environments, increasing dwell time for attackers. 

Cyber-adversaries, including state-sponsored actors, cyber-criminals and hacktivists actively target CNI organisations due to the potential for large-scale disruption. This makes continuous threat detection and response a necessity rather than a luxury.

 

Continuous Security Improvement

Given the persistent and evolving nature of cyber-threats, CNI organisations must adopt a Continuous Security Improvement (CSI) model. Unlike traditional security approaches that focus on periodic assessments and reactive measures, CSI emphasises continuous threat monitoring, real-time incident response, ongoing risk assessments and adaptive security measures.

 

The CSI model enables CNI organisations to remain resilient against cyber-threats by fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. However, maintaining such a model in-house can be resource-intensive, requiring significant investment in skilled personnel, technology and threat intelligence capabilities. This is where MDR providers become invaluable.

 

Strategic value of MDR providers

MDR providers offer a cost-effective and scalable way for CNI organisations to strengthen their cyber-security posture. By leveraging MDR as a service, organisations can achieve the following benefits:

 

24/7 threat detection and response. Cyber-threats do not adhere to business hours, and attackers often exploit weekends, holidays, and off-peak hours when internal security teams may be understaffed. MDR providers offer 24/7 monitoring and incident response, ensuring that threats are detected and mitigated in real time. This constant vigilance significantly reduces the risk of prolonged intrusions and data breaches.

 

Access to specialised expertise. The cyber-security skills gap remains a major challenge for CNI organisations. Recruiting, training and retaining security professionals with expertise in threat hunting, digital forensics and incident response is both costly and time-consuming. MDR providers employ highly skilled security analysts who specialise in detecting and responding to sophisticated cyber-threats. This allows CNI organisations to benefit from top-tier expertise without the burden of maintaining an extensive in-house security team.

 

Advanced threat intelligence and machine learning. MDR providers leverage threat intelligence feeds, behavioural analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify emerging threats before they become critical incidents. This proactive approach allows organisations to stay ahead of adversaries by anticipating attack techniques and implementing preventive measures.

 

Optimised security investments. Building an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC) is a significant financial investment that requires infrastructure, personnel and ongoing maintenance. MDR service providers can be a more efficient alternative by offering superior security capabilities backed by enterprise-grade technology. This allows CNI organisations to allocate their budgets more effectively, focusing on operational resilience while maintaining a robust security posture.

 

Regulatory compliance and risk management. CNI organisations operate under strict regulatory requirements, such as the NIS 2 Directive (EU), Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines (US) and UK National Cyber-Security Centre (NCSC) frameworks. MDR providers help organisations stay compliant by implementing industry best practices, conducting regular audits and ensuring alignment with relevant regulatory frameworks. This reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties and enhances overall risk management strategies.

 

Reduced incident dwell time. One of the most critical factors in cyber-security is dwell time, or the period between when an attacker gains access to a network and when they are detected. Longer dwell times increase the potential for damage of threat activity like data exfiltration, system compromise and financial theft and losses.  

MDR providers use automated threat detection, forensic analysis and incident response playbooks to swiftly contain and remediate events, minimising dwell time and mitigating risk.

 

MDR limitations

While MDR offers significant value, it’s important to recognise its limitations within a mature security operations model. Many MDR providers are limited in scope, often focusing on a single technology - such as CrowdStrike EDR - or confining their service to a single vendor like Microsoft. This narrow approach can lead to considerable visibility gaps, especially as most organisations operate with over 20 security vendors and a multitude of tools across their estate.

 

This fragmented landscape means that MDR services constrained to one toolset may only address a portion of the threat activity. The remaining coverage responsibility still falls on the customer, who may be unaware of these gaps or lack the internal resources to manage them effectively. As a result, key threats can remain undetected and unresolved.

 

To bridge this divide, MDR must evolve toward a more comprehensive SOC capability, one that integrates across the diverse security technologies within an organisation. This extended approach reduces blind spots, ensuring both detection and response actions like containment and eradication can be executed across the full security stack, not just within a single platform.

 

Moreover, truly effective MDR goes beyond escalation or containment. The most mature providers take full ownership of each incident, managing it through to resolution. In this sense, MDR should not be seen as a complete solution in itself, but rather as a stepping stone toward a more resilient and responsive security posture. When fully realised and implemented with the right partner, MDR can become a foundational part of a robust, organisation-wide SOC strategy.

 

Enhancing national security

The role of CNI organisations extends beyond operational resilience; it is a matter of national security and public trust. The uptick in frequency and sophistication of cyber-threats necessitates a proactive and adaptive approach to cyber-security.

 

MDR providers offer a strategic advantage by delivering round-the-clock threat monitoring, expert-led incident response and advanced threat intelligence. By partnering with an MDR provider, CNI organisations can optimise their security investments, thereby reducing reliance on internal resources and maintaining a high level of protection that keeps pace with emerging threats.

 

Ultimately, embracing MDR services allows CNI organisations to focus on their core mission: delivering reliable and secure essential services while strengthening national security as reliance on digital services grows.

 

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Simon Dix is a Solutions Architect at Bridewell

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and SimonSkafar