Securing the Critical National Infrastructure

Abstract

Critical infrastructure cybersecurity has risen to the forefront of national policy in much of the world. These systems use information and communications technologies (ICTs) to deliver key services and opportunities central to participation in the digital economy. Not only are critical national infrastructures (CNIs) of importance to the health and well-being of citizens, they also contribute to the economic, military, and political functioning of modern societies. Targeting of these systems by cyber actors has become a commonplace concern for both experts and policymakers. This chapter addresses the state of these efforts, and their utility for defining new norms of state interaction that constrain escalation and instability in international security.