Definitions and Assumptions

In general this book is very OECD focused, and specifically UK, USA, and Europe centric. It discusses, in fairly broad terms, the shape the OECD and these countries are in to bounce back from damage to Critical Infrastructures. It looks specifically at the OECD because its constituents have the greatest reliance on a particular technology: telecommunications. Over 95% of the world’s data traffic goes through the OECD. Such a figure has statistical significance; and defines an approach to life. This book is therefore also focused on Critical Information Infrastructure. It is impossible in a work such as this to review all the threats and potential challenges to such wide-ranging foundations of our modern society. However, it is possible to identify a number of common themes of relevance to each of the main areas. To start, however, we need a common understanding of what Critical Infrastructure and Critical Information Infrastructures are. This is surprisingly difficult, and one of the reasons there is some concentration in this book on the USA, UK, Australia, and New Zealand is because they have taken the definition and understanding of Critical Infrastructures further than most others in the OECD. There is the start of a common theme in the approaches of these countries.

Resilience has a number of meanings. It is therefore important to be clear from the outset what is meant by Resilience in this book. Some common definitions of Resilience are the following.