CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION POLICY IN THE EU

Abstract

It represents a possibility that some of the terrorist attacks will be directed against critical infrastructure in the future. An example in this regard is the attack on a water treatment plant in the U.S., where an intruder attempted to raise sodium hydroxide levels more than a hundredfold thus poisoning drinking water supplies. The importance of protection is also illustrated by the cyber-attack on Düsseldorf Hospital in December 2020, when an attack on critical infrastructure has led to a fatal incident in Europe for the first time. At the same time, critical infrastructure protection is further enhanced in the event of a possible hybrid warfare or war situation. Its importance in practice was also illustrated by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in December 2015, when the BlackEnergy APT group caused a power outage in Ukraine affecting two hundred and twenty-five thousand people. This attack has shown what success an unconventional military element can achieve in the world of current levels of energy use. This study aims at presenting the risks that critical infrastructures involve, followed by the sectors with European critical infrastructures and their main characteristics, as well as some key European infrastructures.