Cybersecurity Under Siege: What Pen Testers Must Do as Federal Support Evaporates

The locks are digital, the keys are missing, and the attackers already walked in.That’s the real danger unfolding across critical infrastructure. While threats against power grids, water systems, and telecoms escalate, federal support is pulling back, leaving massive visibility gaps behind.As a part-time penetration tester, I don’t see this as a policy failure I see it as an open field for adversary simulation. From unpatched OT environments to neglected vendor chains and vulnerable executive access points, there’s no shortage of targets ready for testing.In this post, I’ll break down how today’s attackers are exploiting these gaps through AI-driven threats, state-sponsored campaigns, ransomware playbooks, and supply chain manipulation and how ethical hackers and red teams can adapt their tactics to probe, pressure, and prepare the systems society can’t afford to lose.

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Federal Retrenchment & Its Effects

CISA’s partnership initiatives have weakened due to staffing reductions and program cancellations like CIPAC. This deprioritization leaves critical sectors underprotected, and fragmented information sharing leaves local operators blind to emerging threats. For pen testers, this means more opportunity and responsibility to simulate real attack conditions against poorly defended interfaces and systems.

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AI-Driven Cyberattacks on OT Networks

Sophisticated attackers now leverage AI to generate evasive malware payloads targeting operational technology (OT) frameworks like SCADA, DNP3, and Modbus. Penetration testers must evolve accordingly:

• Use AI-fuzzed payloads via custom Python scripts attacking ICS endpoints.

• Automate Shodan scans for exposed OT ports.

• Validate detection systems by deploying AI-morphed attack variants.

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Nation-State Actors Exploiting Policy Gaps

Notably, Volt Typhoon, Salt Typhoon, and Singapore’s UNC3886 have targeted telecom and power sectors during periods of federal distraction . These campaigns blend stolen credentials, supply-chain compromise, and long-term persistence. Test exercises must:

• Simulate persistent access using valid credentials.

• Emulate APT-level stepwise infiltration across IT and OT segments.

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Iranian Cyber Retaliation & Disconnected OT

Amid rising geo‑tensions, CISA and the FBI advise disconnecting OT from the Internet and enforcing strong identity measures. Real-world penetration testing should:

• Attempt lateral movement into OT from internet-connected IT segments.

• Validate MFA, log monitoring, and anomaly detection for equipment-level endpoints.

• Assess console hardening—especially those exposed via VPNs or remote sessions.

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Ransomware Evolution in Infrastructure

The Play (PlayCrypt) ransomware gang is now exploiting RMM tools like SimpleHelp to breach critical infrastructure.Security teams must simulate:

• RMM compromise leading to mass enrolment of endpoints.

• Encryption of operational files and triggering alert response.

• OT-targeted ransomware modules for extra realism.

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Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: The Silent Trojan

Third-party vendor tools supporting OT systems—e.g., HVAC, telecom management consoles—can become backdoors if not vetted. Testing should include:

• API fuzzing and credential harvesting from vendor portals using Burp Suite.

• Firmware review using Binwalk or firmware analysis tools.

• Scanning vendor C2 FXNs and logic leaks with Metasploit.

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Human Factor in Fragmented Defence

Even as federal threat sharing shrinks, frontline staff face heightened risk. Simulating AI-craft phishing emails—even to disjointed, non-urgent infrastructure teams—can test readiness. Use GoPhish with real-world payloads tied to current news, logging who clicks and how SOC alerts behave.

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Tactical Playbook for Penetration Testers

Threat Vector	Tools & Strategy
AI‑fuzzing OT protocols	Custom AI fuzzers, Shodan scans, ICS‑aware payloads
APT emulation	Credential harvest, AD reconnaissance, simulated persistence
Iranian exfil simulation	Remote OT/IT pivot tests, anomaly-triggered alarms
RMM-based ransomware sim	SimpleHelp audit, controlled encryption of backup/OT folders
Vendor supply chain audit	Firmware fuzzing, API brute force, vendor console penetration testing
Social engineering	Axe-crafted AI phishing + SOC detection logs

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Compliance & Regulation

The cancellation of CIPAC weakened confidences, while new rules like CIRCIA mandate faster incident reporting. Pen testers should validate:

• Incident simulation and reporting workflows per CIRCIA timelines.

• Authentication and privilege controls aligning with NIST CSF and NSM‑22 deliverables.

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Digital Warfare's Take

James Knight, Senior Principal at Digital Warfare, said:“Penetration Testing for critical infrastructure must mirror nation‑state complexity software, supply chain, users, OT, and politics. Anything less leaves civilization one exploit away from blackout.”

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Conclusion & Call to Action

With federal support shrinking, penetration testers must broaden their mission—from sandboxed assessments to rugged end-to-end infrastructure validation. That means AI-aware fuzzing, credential persistence, ransomware simulation, and vendor code audits all performed in high-risk, low-visibility domains.

Your mission: test everywhere—from the SCADA console to the vendor portal. Simulate real-world nation-state campaigns, and do it often. For the sake of power grids, water systems, healthcare, and telecom resilience, the community must act now.

🛡️ Takeaway: Integrate OT fuzzing, ransomware simulation, and APT techniques into your pen testing. Treat disconnected federal support as a feature, not a bug. And keep testing critical domains before adversaries do.