Methodologies and strategies for critical infrastructure protection

Abstract

The protection of critical infrastructures at a national level is not a trivial task. In involves various steps such as the indentation, the prioritization and the protection of those infrastructures and services that are vital for the wellbeing of the society. Although some sectors, subsectors and services seem to be very important for all countries, others may differ in their significance based on the specific economic, environmental and social characteristics of each country. In this chapter we review existing methodologies and national strategies for critical infrastructure protection. We examine methodologies for identifying and assessing critical sectors and services, relying on top-down and bottom-up administrative approaches. We examine common practices that have been applied in various countries to identify critical infrastructures and to establish national protection plans. Finally, we describe a set of goals that are commonly found in different methodologies and best practices for critical infrastructure protection.