Protecting Critical Infrastructure at the State, Provincial, and Local Level: Issues in Cyber-Physical Security

Abstract

The issue of cyber-security is currently having and will continue to have a major impact on organized society. Cyber-threats to infrastructure, and other assets, are of growing concern to policymakers throughout the world. For example, the President of the United States (US), in 2009, declared cyber threats to be among “the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and stated that “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cyber-security.” Cyber-attacks might include denial of service, theft or manipulation of data. Information and communications technology (ICT) is becoming ubiquitous and many ICT devices and other components are interdependent. Therefore disruption of one component may have a negative, cascading effect on others. It is clear that cyber-security issues include not only the threats associated with information technology but also involves physical threats to Critical Infrastructure (CI). Damage to critical infrastructure through a cyber-based attack could have a significant impact on security at the national level, the economy, and the livelihood and safety of citizens. It is therefore important that national governments develop comprehensive strategies to deal with issues related to cyber-security. As critical infrastructure becomes more dependent on computer technology and increasingly tied to the internet, cyber-attacks against communication networks and system are growing in number and are becoming more sophisticated. Several examples are presented, that illustrate the impact of cyber-attacks on international security as well as attacks on critical infrastructure. In addition, a number of approaches that might help deal with cyber-security are suggested including the development of public-private partnerships.