Everything evolves. Simply stated, the gradual development of something from a simple to a more complex form is what evolution is all about. When something ceases to evolve, yet still exists, it becomes classified as a living fossil. One example is the Ginkgo Biloba tree. It took millions of years for this evolution to cease. This all happened without any help from humans.

When we think of our relationship with technology, it is apparent that we are nowhere near the point of realizing the end of the technological evolution. Even if we consider the earliest human technological achievements, such as how to transport water uphill, we are still many years away from exhausting our imaginations as well as our technological capabilities. However, just as a tree is susceptible to the forces of nature, we have learned that our greatest achievements can be undermined by the same human inspirational ingenuity.

The evolution of critical infrastructure

A more modern example of the evolution of technology is in the area of critical infrastructure and operational technology (OT). Water and wastewater systems are just one classification of critical infrastructure. We have certainly come a long way since Archimedes’ spiral, but we have also become more capable in our destructive capabilities. 

Many of the devices that control all sectors of critical infrastructure were designed as stand-alone mechanisms. To clarify, these types of devices, such as programmable logic controllers (PLC), have been around for decades but were never connected – nor were they ever intended to be – to the Internet. While this evolution has brought ease of use and remote access, it opens the door to a whole new set of challenges.

These devices typically have up to 20-year lifecycles without being updated, upgraded, or patched. Malicious actors are finding ways to get (Read more...)