Introduction
The expression critical infrastructure refers to the assets of physical and logical systems required for economic and government minimal functioning. Critical means essential, assessed, examined, at or near a tipping point. Infrastructure is the overall word for a company, region, or nation’s core physical infrastructure. According to CISA, “critical infrastructure describes the physical and cyber systems and assets that are so vital to the United States that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on our physical or economic security or public health or safety.” (CISA, 2021). All of these crucial systems rely on transport, trade, clean water, and power. Critical infrastructure covers cybersecurity information and networks essential in the United States so that their failure or destruction would weaken the health or safety of the citizens, and physical or economic safety. Critical facilities cover the assets, systems, buildings, networks, and other components that society is committed to safeguarding global defense, sustainable economy, and environmental protection.
CIP and CIA
Critical infrastructure protection is presently a problem starting from generation to generation. A national strategy for strengthening and maintaining safe, functional, and resilient critical infrastructure improves critical infrastructure security and resistance (CISA, 2021). According to Radvanovsky and McDougall, “Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) is a topic that is now beginning to span generations” (Radvanovsky & McDougall, 2019). The fundamental notion of essential infrastructural protection is rooted in concepts such as crucial point protection, which may be used to preserve major shelters, food storehouses, and other characteristics, including water supplies, over many thousands of years. The Critical Infrastructure Assurance helps to establish a national infrastructures protection strategy and coordinates the implementation activities of the Critical Infrastructure Plan. According to DHS, “Critical Infrastructure Environment describes the policy, risk, and operating environments and the partnership structure within which the community undertakes efforts to achieve goals aimed at strengthening security and resilience” (DHS, 2013). In addition, critical infrastructure insurance examines the whole power grid and ensures that the system can identify disruptions, adjust demand capacity, and fulfill services that are often visible to the customer.
The Most Important Critical Infrastructure
In my opinion, the fundamental institutions of critical infrastructure are all kinds of power plants since they directly affect the functioning of the country. All institutions operate on electricity, making these facilities critical. Hospitals, security systems, and urban infrastructure will not work without electricity. Therefore, the maximum possible attention should be paid to these facilities to ensure a stable life for the country’s citizens and be confident in their safety.
References
CISA. (2021). Critical infrastructure sectors. Cisa.Gov. Web.
CISA. (2021). Infrastructure security. Cisa.Gov. Web.
DHS. (2013). National infrastructure protection plan (NIPP) 2013—Partnering for critical infrastructure security and resilience.
Radvanovsky, R., & McDougall, A. (2019). Critical infrastructure: Homeland security and emergency preparedness (4th ed.). CRC Press.