Critical Infrastructure

Most of us have heard the term "critical infrastructure" used within news reports that are intended to leave an impression upon the listener or even in technical articles describing a specific product or industry. However, what does critical infrastructure actually signify?

We will be examining several points related to critical infrastructure throughout the following sections. It is first wise to define critical infrastructure from a broad perspective. Once the fundamentals have been covered, other areas such as highlighting some relevant individual critical infrastructure sectors as well as the challenges that the industry is facing will be analysed in greater detail.

The main goal is to appreciate where we may be headed and to understand how future technologies are continuing to shape the role of critical infrastructure in our modern society.

Critical Infrastructure: A General Overview

According to the United States Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a typical critical infrastructure meaning can be defined broadly as follows:^[1]

"Systems, assets or networks that are considered so vital to a region or nation that their incapacitation would have a debilitating effect upon numerous aspects of society".

Of course, this is an extreme generalisation and the exact critical infrastructure systems will vary across multiple different industries. This is why we will now move on to discuss some examples of critical infrastructure in order to understand why these networks are so vital in these modern times.

Critical Infrastructure Examples

The critical infrastructure industry actually encompasses a wide range of sectors. Once again, each of these are considered to be vital in regard to societal functioning and in some cases, even national defence. Let us examine four pertinent critical infrastructure systems as well as their discrete purposes.

Critical Infrastructure in Relation to Transportation Services

This is arguably one of the most well-known examples of critical infrastructure, as it is used by all of us on a daily basis. Transportation infrastructure can include bridges, tunnels, railways, and motorways. If any of these networks failed for even a short period of time, logistical systems would soon break down. This could cause irreparable harm to modern society.

This is also why reliable sources of power (such as fuel cell technology) are being employed in order to provide an extra level of redundancy in the event that consumers do not have access to traditional fossil fuels or filling stations.

Energy Production Facilities and Power Grids

Perhaps the most pertinent example of energy-related critical infrastructure involves the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian military has been targeting the power grid of Ukraine; resulting in electricity cuts to major urban centres such as Kharkov and Kiev.^[2]

As the Ukrainian government continues to grapple with critical infrastructure protection protocols, millions of citizens are expected to suffer over the coming winter months. While innovations such as DMFC backup power supplies may exist on a small scale, they are not nearly sufficient (at the present) to address large-scale grid failures.

Critical Infrastructure and Drinking Water Supplies

It only stands to reason that drinking water is a core component of critical infrastructure. Without access to a potable supply of water, society as we know it would likely collapse within a relatively short period of time. However, accessibility also depends upon location.

For instance, drinking water might not be considered as vital to an area that has access to fresh underground springs. The same cannot be said for other locations such as Ethiopia or Papua New Guinea, as both of these are heavily reliant upon imports. Even small supply disruptions can lead to severe consequences. Indeed, countless past conflicts have directly resulted from access to clean drinking water.^[3]

Disaster Response

Responding to disasters such as floods, fires, pandemics, and even foreign attacks also involves the use of critical infrastructure. The main issue here is that these events are often unpredictable in nature and will require a coordinated response in order to avert potentially severe consequences. This may require top-down (federal) intervention as well as local strategies. Either way, governments around the world are constantly preparing their critical infrastructure for potentially unforeseen circumstances.^[4]

What Challenges Does the Critical Infrastructure Industry Face?

It is first wise to mention that the critical infrastructure sector is constantly evolving. Solutions that might have been applicable in the past could no longer be valid in the present. One example involves the increasing threat of malicious digital attacks upon the energy sector. Indeed, major think tanks have already highlighted the vulnerability of outdated critical infrastructure systems throughout continental Europe.^[5]

However, there are other areas of very real concern. Natural disasters are well-known examples of how even the most advanced systems can easily grind to a halt. Human error is yet another possibility. Critical infrastructure security (both physical and digital) likewise poses a very real concern.^[6]

A final point to make before moving on involves the fact that critical infrastructure systems often rely upon one another. For instance, a power grid fault due to an EMP attack could affect supplies of drinking water and confound regional transportation services for an extended period of time. This is why the concept of infrastructure protection needs to be taken extremely seriously.

How Can Critical Infrastructure be Protected from Potential Threats?

The answer to this question will partially depend on what type of critical infrastructure we are referring to. We will nonetheless look at two real-world examples.

Cybersecurity

The critical infrastructure associated with the digital community has become quite vulnerable to malicious attacks. Some methods of thwarting these risks include:^[6]

• Advanced firewalls
• Redundant cloud-based storage
• Clear communication and actionable plans in the event that a fault is discovered
• Energy Production

Electricity

Electricity distribution is another key critical infrastructure concern. This is why modern technologies are being integrated on a regular basis. For instance, a hydrogen fuel cell can be used as a source of backup power in the event that mains electricity happens to be cut off for an extended period of time.^[7]

Conclusion of Critical Infrastructure

Note that this was only a general overview of the role that critical infrastructure currently plays. Although there is no doubt that technology will continue to evolve, society still needs to develop innovative solutions in order to address unforeseen situations.