Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure: A Growing Concern for Businesses and Nations
" Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, such as ports and airports, directly impact the vital operations of countries and businesses," said Adlene Loukil, CEO of Resys-Consultants, during a seminar organized by the Tunisian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCITF) on the theme "Cybersecurity: Understanding Risks and Acting on New Challenges."
Loukil highlighted the concept of "internal and external threats," emphasizing that companies must address internal risks such as configuration errors, staff departures, and sabotage, while remaining vulnerable to external attacks.
Citing recent examples, including the global outage that affected Microsoft and Azure services in July, Loukil underscored the magnitude of financial losses, estimated at $5.4 million, that such outages can cause, even for industry giants. This incident demonstrates that all businesses, large or small, are exposed to cyber risks that can paralyze their activities for hours or even days.
One of the major challenges highlighted by Loukil is raising awareness among top business executives about the importance of cybersecurity. According to him, it is often difficult to motivate these decision-makers to invest in adequate protection strategies. However, he emphasized that every company must establish a clear strategy and designate a security officer to oversee its implementation.
Loukil also mentioned regulations on data protection, such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the European NIS2 directive, which impose severe penalties, up to 4% of turnover, in case of non-compliance. For him, cybersecurity is not only a technical issue but also an economic, financial, and political challenge that directly affects the brand image of companies and countries.
Finally, he stressed the need for Tunisia to develop its own technological solutions, including a Tunisian cloud, to strengthen its digital sovereignty. Loukil expressed his confidence in the potential of young Tunisians to achieve these goals and contribute to the emergence of a national technological industry capable of competing on the international stage.
