The artificial intelligence revolution is reshaping more than just how we work and live—it's fundamentally transforming the infrastructure that powers our digital economy. As AI workloads surge, data centers in the United States are experiencing unprecedented growth that's creating an entirely new cybersecurity landscape. What was once a simple server management challenge has evolved into a physical critical infrastructure cybersecurity imperative that demands immediate attention.
From Digital Warehouses to Mission-Critical Infrastructure
Today's data centers have evolved far beyond their origins as simple "digital warehouses." The explosive demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and global digital services has transformed these facilities into high-performance, globally interconnected powerhouses—the Formula One engines of our modern economy.
Hyperscale platforms operated by tech giants like Google, AWS, META, Microsoft and others now sprawl across campuses that rival small cities in both size and resource consumption. These facilities demand ever-greater performance, efficiency, and scale to support the computational requirements of modern AI applications.
The Power Revolution: From Kilowatts to Megawatts
The most dramatic transformation in data center infrastructure is happening in power consumption. Research shows that data centers consumed approximately 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2024, with AI workloads representing 5-15% of data center power use currently—a figure that could reach 35-50% by 2030.
This growth translates to a fundamental shift in electrical infrastructure and architecture. Data center racks are evolving from modest 10 kW "go-karts" to massive 1 MW "full-race machines." To support these power-hungry AI workloads, facilities are transitioning from traditional 48 VDC systems to high-powered ±400 VDC specifications.
Key Power Consumption Statistics:
- Global data center electricity consumption reached 415 TWh in 2024
- The U.S. accounts for 45% of global data center power consumption
- Power demand could increase 165% by 2030 due to AI growth
This massive power requirement means the electrical grid isn't just a support system—it's become physical critical infrastructure essential to data center operations and, by extension, the entire digital economy.
A New Layer of Critical Infrastructure
As demand scales exponentially, data centers themselves have become another layer of physical critical infrastructure, sitting alongside power generation and transmission systems in terms of national importance. Without these facilities operating at full capacity, supply chains would collapse, financial systems would fail, and the global digital economy would grind to a halt.
This elevation in status brings with it a commensurate increase in risk exposure and threat actor interest.
The Cybersecurity Nexus: Where Power Meets Cyber Risk
The intersection of massive power consumption and critical infrastructure status creates a perfect storm for cybersecurity risks. Like all physical critical infrastructures, data centers and their supporting electrical systems rely heavily on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) to manage everything from cooling systems to power distribution.
Recent threat intelligence reveals alarming trends:
- 70% of OT vulnerabilities in 2024 were found deep within ICS networks
- Cyberattacks on operational technology systems surged 87% in 2024
- 146% increase in sites suffering physical operational impairment due to cyber attacks
The Expanding Attack Surface
Modern data centers present multiple attack vectors that threat actors are increasingly targeting:
- Power and Cooling Systems
Critical HVAC and electrical distribution systems rely on networked controllers that can be compromised to force facility shutdowns. Research indicates that successful attacks on cooling systems could force a data hall to shut down within minutes.
- Building Management Systems
Integrated building automation systems provide centralized control over multiple facility functions, creating single points of failure that attackers can exploit.
- Network Infrastructure
The increasing connectivity between IT and OT systems creates pathways for attackers to move laterally from corporate networks into operational systems.
- Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
The complex ecosystem of vendors, contractors, and service providers creates multiple entry points for sophisticated threat actors.
Beyond Traditional Cybersecurity: The Need for Tailored Risk Quantification
Protecting modern data center infrastructure requires more than traditional cybersecurity approaches. The unique combination of high-value digital assets, critical physical infrastructure, and complex interdependencies demands a specialized Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ) methodology to enable efficient Cyber Risk Management.
Effective OT-focused cyber risk quantification must integrate:
External Intelligence:
- Current threat landscape analysis
- Threat actor capabilities and motivations
- Attack method evolution and trends
- Industry-specific vulnerability assessments
Internal Operational Data:
- Comprehensive OT network visibility
- Device inventory and configuration management
- Vulnerability assessment and patch status
- Business impact analysis for various failure scenarios
DeNexus DeRISK: Purpose-Built for Critical Physical Infrastructure Protection
DeNexus DeRISK represents the industry's only Cyber Risk Quantification and Management platform specifically designed to address the unique challenges facing data centers, power generation facilities, and transmission and distribution systems.
Key Capabilities:
Comprehensive Risk Assessment: DeRISK integrates external threat intelligence with internal operational data to provide a complete picture of cyber risk exposure across OT environments.
Industry-Specific Analytics: Purpose-built algorithms understand the unique operational requirements and interdependencies of each Industry.
Business Impact Quantification: Advanced modeling capabilities translate technical vulnerabilities into quantified business risk, enabling informed decision-making about cybersecurity investments.
Continuous Monitoring: Real-time risk assessment capabilities ensure that security posture remains aligned with the rapidly evolving threat landscape.
Building Resilience in the AI Era
As U.S. data centers continue scaling to meet AI's power-hungry demands, they increasingly operate at the intersection of digital innovation and physical infrastructure vulnerability. Their growing dependence on sophisticated electrical systems and ICS/OT networks makes them high-value targets for nation-state actors, cybercriminals, and other threat groups.
The path forward requires a fundamental shift from reactive security to proactive resilience. This means:
Implementing comprehensive OT security programs that address both technical vulnerabilities and operational procedures
Adopting risk-based cybersecurity approaches that prioritize investments based on quantified business impact
Developing incident response capabilities specifically designed for OT environments
Creating cross-functional teams that bridge IT, OT, and physical security domains
Conclusion: Securing the Foundation of Digital Innovation
The AI revolution is placing unprecedented demands on our digital infrastructure, creating new vulnerabilities at the intersection of cyber and physical security. As data centers evolve into critical infrastructure assets, the consequences of successful cyberattacks extend far beyond individual facilities to encompass entire supply chains and the global digital economy.
Organizations operating in this environment need more than traditional cybersecurity solutions—they need comprehensive cyber risk quantification that accounts for the unique challenges of power-dependent, OT-integrated critical infrastructure.
DeNexus DeRISK CRQ + QVM delivers exactly this capability, transforming the complexity of modern infrastructure security into clear, actionable intelligence that enables investors and operators to understand, manage, mitigate, and transfer their OT cyber risk effectively.
The future of our digital economy depends on the resilience of the infrastructure that powers it. In an era where cyber threats are evolving as rapidly as the technology they target, proactive risk management isn't just good business practice—it's an essential foundation for continued innovation and growth.
About DeNexus
DeNexus is the leading provider of cyber risk quantification solutions for critical infrastructure. Our DeRISK platform helps organizations in power, data centers, and other critical sectors understand, manage, and mitigate their operational technology cyber risks.
Contact us to learn more about our solutions