Critical infrastructure security tech needs to be as good as our smartphones, top NSC cyber official says | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The top cyber official at the National Security Council said Tuesday that he\u2019s dismayed by the lag in security technology embedded in critical infrastructure, saying it pales in comparison to the tech in modern smartphones.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/alexei-bulazel-critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Critical infrastructure security tech needs to be as good as our smartphones, top NSC cyber official says\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The top cyber official at the National Security Council said Tuesday that he\u2019s dismayed by the lag in security technology embedded in critical 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content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/01\/cropped-cs_favicon-2.png?w=270\"> <\/head><body class=\"wp-singular post-template-default single single-post postid-85930 single-format-standard wp-theme-scoopnewsgroup wp-child-theme-cyberscoop\" id=\"readabilityBody\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/alexei-bulazel-critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"26.430830039526\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"35.645308924485\">\n<p> Alexei Bulazel said that even as the Trump administration is aiming to ratchet up cyber offense, there\u2019s still a vital role for defense. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/85930\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says.jpg?resize=640%2C338&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg 2384w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=300,158 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=768,405 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=1024,540 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=1536,810 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=2048,1080 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=600,316 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=1200,633 1200w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-2.jpg?resize=1500,791 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption> Bulazel mentioned the energy sector in particular, given the potential for hackers to turn off the power in the United States. It\u2019s a sector that relies in large measure on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to monitor and control industrial processes. (Image Credit: AndreyPopov via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"22.056707078608\"><body readability=\"46.482484820177\"><\/p>\n<p>The top cyber official at the National Security Council said Tuesday that he\u2019s dismayed by the lag in security technology embedded in critical infrastructure, saying it pales in comparison to the tech in modern smartphones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI worry a lot about critical infrastructure cybersecurity,\u201d Alexei Bulazel said at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit. \u201cI also think about the technology that\u2019s deployed in critical infrastructure contexts. This is not the best-in-class software or hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bulazel mentioned the energy sector in particular, given the potential for hackers to turn off the power in the United States. It\u2019s a sector that relies in large measure on <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/scada\/\">supervisory control and data acquisition<\/a> (SCADA) systems to monitor and control industrial processes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think about the phones in our pockets \u2014 Android, iPhone, doesn\u2019t matter \u2014 really amazing feats of engineering,\u201d he said. \u201cImagine if our critical infrastructure, if the SCADA system that ran the power or the water or whatever, was as secure as the phone in your pocket. I think a lot of these threats are mitigated; only the absolute apex predator, top-tier actors can get in.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As a \u201cWhite House policymaker,\u201d Bulazel said, many of the questions he deals with go away if the technical mark is raised in critical infrastructure. It\u2019s one of the reasons the Trump administration \u2014 despite frequently discussing <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/aggressive-cyber-offense-trump-administration-us-strategy-debate\/\">the need to go on offense in cyberspace<\/a> \u2014 is focused on defensive strategies like <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/secure-by-design-2\/\">secure-by-design<\/a>, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are unapologetically unafraid to do offensive cyber,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an important tool in the toolbox. It\u2019s not the only tool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration is trying to shift away from \u201cvictims\u201d and more to \u201cvillains,\u201d Bulazel said. His comments echoed <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/us-cybersecurity-strategy-sean-cairncross-shift-risk-china-trump-biden-cisa\/\">earlier remarks<\/a> Tuesday from National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross about shifting the cyber risk burden to adversaries.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to deter hackers, who aren\u2019t like floods or lightning strikes in that they are intentional and deliberate, he said: \u201cThis is because a motivated bad actor is trying to give you a bad day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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{"id":7975,"date":"2025-09-09T17:18:42","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T22:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=85930"},"modified":"2025-09-09T17:18:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T22:18:42","slug":"critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/critical-infrastructure-security-tech-needs-to-be-as-good-as-our-smartphones-top-nsc-cyber-official-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical infrastructure security tech needs to be as good as our smartphones, top NSC cyber official says"},"content":{"rendered":"