Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure

This thesis investigates cyber threats targeting critical submarine infrastructure (CSI). The study focuses on people and organizational processes of operators of submarine telecommunications cables, power cables, and gas pipelines critical to Europe’s energy transmission and data communication. The...

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Päätekijä: Julkunen, Petro
Muut tekijät: Informaatioteknologian tiedekunta, Faculty of Information Technology, Jyväskylän yliopisto, University of Jyväskylä
Aineistotyyppi: Pro gradu
Kieli:eng
Julkaistu: 2025
Aiheet:
Linkit: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/103167
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author Julkunen, Petro
author2 Informaatioteknologian tiedekunta Faculty of Information Technology Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_facet Julkunen, Petro Informaatioteknologian tiedekunta Faculty of Information Technology Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä Julkunen, Petro Informaatioteknologian tiedekunta Faculty of Information Technology Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_sort Julkunen, Petro
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description This thesis investigates cyber threats targeting critical submarine infrastructure (CSI). The study focuses on people and organizational processes of operators of submarine telecommunications cables, power cables, and gas pipelines critical to Europe’s energy transmission and data communication. The thesis outlines the cyber threat landscape, identifies vulnerabilities associate to people and processes, and estimates potential impacts. The methodology is a qualitative cyber threat analysis based on targeted literature review and expert consultations. The thesis utilizes frameworks from ENISA, NIST, and the MITRE ATT&CK Matrix to structure the classification of threats and vulnerabilities. Cyberattack scenarios are developed to illustrate how threat actors may exploit the identified vulnerabilities in people and or-ganizational processes—such as insufficient training, poor cybersecurity policies, and insider threats—to compromise the submarine infrastructure. The thesis found that the CSI may be susceptible to cyberattacks due to gaps in organizational cybersecurity. Potential key vulnerabilities include lim-ited cybersecurity skills, lack of awareness, insufficient investment, fragmented policies, and inadequate monitoring. Additional concerns arise from private ownership and multinational supply chains. These conditions may complicate coordinated protection and risk management efforts across jurisdictions. The thesis emphasizes the requirement for improved cybersecurity awareness, harmonized policy implementation, increased investment in training, and enhanced protection strategies, some of which have been recently implemented at the regulatory level in the EU but need to be brought to the organizational level. Addressing vulnerabilities associated with people is essential for ensuring the resilience and operational security of the systems that enable global communications and energy transmission. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa tarkastellaan ihmisistä ja organisaatioprosesseista lähteviä kyberuhkia, jotka kohdistuvat vedenalaiseen kriittiseen infrastruktuuriin. Tutkimuksen kohteena ovat merenalaiset tietoliikennekaapelit, sähkökaapelit ja kaasuputket, joita käytetään laajasti Euroopan energiavirtojen ja tiedonsiirron mahdollistamiseen. Työssä analysoidaan kyberuhkia, haavoittuvuuksia ja vaikutuksia infrastruktuurioperaattoreihin, ja niiden operatiivisiin prosesseihin liittyen. Tutkimuksen menetelmänä käytettiin laadullista uhka-analyysia, joka perustui kirjallisuuskatsaukseen ja asiantuntijakeskusteluihin. Työ hyödyntää ENISAn, NISTin ja MITRE ATT&CK -viitekehyksiä kyberuhkien ja haavoittuvuuksien luokittelussa. Kyberuhkia mallinnettiin skenaarioiden avulla, jotka havainnollistavat, miten uhkatoimijat voisivat hyödyntää organisaatiotason puutteita, kuten riittämätöntä osaamista, puutteellisia kyberturvallisuuskäytäntöjä ja -resursseja, sekä sisäpiiristä tulevia hyökkäyksiä, merenalaisen infrastruktuurin vahingoittamiseen tai vakoiluun. Tutkielma osoitti, että kriittinen vedenalainen infrastruktuuri on haavoittuvainen hyökkäyksille mm. henkilöstön kyberturvallisuusymmärryksen puutteiden vuoksi. Haavoittuvuuksia lisäävät mm. yksityinen omistus, riippuvuudet toimitusketjuista, ja rajallinen valvontakapasiteetti. Tutkimus painottaa kyberturvallisuustietoisuuden ja yhtenäisten prosessien merkitystä organisaatioissa, sekä yhteisen eurooppalaisen suojausstrategian tärkeyttä. Ihmisiin liittyvien haavoittuvuuksien hallinta on tärkeää globaalin viestinnän ja energiansiirron mahdollistavien järjestelmien resilienssin ja toimintavarmuuden varmistamiseksi.
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The study focuses on people and organizational processes of operators of submarine telecommunications cables, power cables, and gas pipelines critical to Europe\u2019s energy transmission and data communication. The thesis outlines the cyber threat landscape, identifies vulnerabilities associate to people and processes, and estimates potential impacts.\n\nThe methodology is a qualitative cyber threat analysis based on targeted literature review and expert consultations. The thesis utilizes frameworks from ENISA, NIST, and the MITRE ATT&CK Matrix to structure the classification of threats and vulnerabilities. Cyberattack scenarios are developed to illustrate how threat actors may exploit the identified vulnerabilities in people and or-ganizational processes\u2014such as insufficient training, poor cybersecurity policies, and insider threats\u2014to compromise the submarine infrastructure.\n\nThe thesis found that the CSI may be susceptible to cyberattacks due to gaps in organizational cybersecurity. Potential key vulnerabilities include lim-ited cybersecurity skills, lack of awareness, insufficient investment, fragmented policies, and inadequate monitoring. Additional concerns arise from private ownership and multinational supply chains. 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Tutkimuksen kohteena ovat merenalaiset tietoliikennekaapelit, s\u00e4hk\u00f6kaapelit ja kaasuputket, joita k\u00e4ytet\u00e4\u00e4n laajasti Euroopan energiavirtojen ja tiedonsiirron mahdollistamiseen. Ty\u00f6ss\u00e4 analysoidaan kyberuhkia, haavoittuvuuksia ja vaikutuksia infrastruktuurioperaattoreihin, ja niiden operatiivisiin prosesseihin liittyen.\n\nTutkimuksen menetelm\u00e4n\u00e4 k\u00e4ytettiin laadullista uhka-analyysia, joka perustui kirjallisuuskatsaukseen ja asiantuntijakeskusteluihin. Ty\u00f6 hy\u00f6dynt\u00e4\u00e4 ENISAn, NISTin ja MITRE ATT&CK -viitekehyksi\u00e4 kyberuhkien ja haavoittuvuuksien luokittelussa. 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spellingShingle Julkunen, Petro Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure Kyberturvallisuuden maisteriohjelma Master's Degree Programme in Cyber Security
title Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_full Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_fullStr Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_full_unstemmed Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_short Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_sort cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
title_txtP Cyber threat analysis of people and organizational processes in critical submarine infrastructure
topic Kyberturvallisuuden maisteriohjelma Master's Degree Programme in Cyber Security
topic_facet Kyberturvallisuuden maisteriohjelma Master's Degree Programme in Cyber Security
url https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/103167 http://www.urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202506064973
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