Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Critical Threat of Critical Infrastructures: The Human Factor

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Security-Related Advanced Technologies in Critical Infrastructure Protection

  • 448 Accesses

Abstract

While critical infrastructures have always been the most important parts of a nation’s economy, the threats that they are facing, when it comes to safety and security issues, has changed radically in the past decades owing to the rapid development of the applied technologies. Though processes are speeding up and the machinery is improving at a rapid pace the human factor seems to be the weakest link. Hence, present paper endeavours to address this very aspect of organisational safety and security, in order to call attention to its crucial role. The paper first presents the role of personnel in critical infrastructures, then enumerates traditional and more novel ways of improving the expertise and decreasing the vulnerability of the human factor. While the topic to be tackled is a complex one by nature, a simple model is also introduced, on the basis of which managers of critical infrastructures are able to make personnel decisions. Last but not least, present paper intends to call attention to the fact, that the basic processes, and the way the everyday tasks of the employees are defined may also influence the safety and security of critical infrastructures; hence the issue regarding the human factor cannot be solved solely through training and motivation, but the reorganisation of processes might also be necessary.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Department of Homeland Security (DHS): National strategy for homeland security. http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book (2002). Accessed 29 Sept 2021

  2. Brown, G., Carlyle, M., Salmerón, J., Wood, K.: Defending critical infrastructure. Interfaces. 36(6), 530–544 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bessani, A.N., Sousa, P., Correia, M., Neves, N.F., Verissimo, P.: The CRUTIAL way of critical infrastructure protection. IEEE Secur. Priv. 6(6), 44–51 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Auerswald, P., Lewis, M.B., La Porte, T.M., Erwann, M.: The challenge of protecting critical infrastructure. Issues Sci. Technol. 22(1) (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Walker-Roberts, S., Hammoudeh, M., Dehghantanha, A.: A systematic review of the availability and efficacy of countermeasures to internal threats in healthcare critical infrastructure. IEEE Access. 6, 25167–25177 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Keeney, M., Kowalski, E., Cappelli, D., Moore, A., Shimeall, T., Rogers, S.: Insider threat study: computer system sabotage in critical infrastructure sectors. National Threat Assessment Center, Washington, DC (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Schein, E.H.: Organizational culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ghafir, I., Husak, M., Prenosil, V.: A survey on intrusion detection and prevention systems. In: Proceedings of Student Conference Zvule, IEEE/UREL, p. 1014. Brno University of Technology (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Svoboda, J., Ghafir, I., Prenosil, V.: Network monitoring approaches: an overview. Int. J. Adv. Comput. Netw. Secur. 5(2), 88–93 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  10. CISA: Cybersecurity and Physical Security Convergence Guide. https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Cybersecurity%20and%20Physical%20Security%20Convergence_508_01.05.2021 (2021). Accessed 29 Sept 2021

  11. Nyikes, Z., Kovács, T.A., Tokody, D.: In situ testing of rail damages in accordance with Industry 4.0. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. (1742–6588 1742–6596). 1045, 1–6 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1045/1/012032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Cazorla, L., Alcaraz, C., Lopez, J.: Towards automatic critical infrastructure protection through machine learning. In: Luiijf, E., Hartel, P. (eds.) Critical Information Infrastructures Security. CRITIS 2013 Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 8328. Springer, Cham (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03964-0_18

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Herath, T., Rao, H.R.: Encouraging information security behaviors in organizations: role of penalties, pressures and perceived effectiveness. Decis. Support Syst. 47(2), 154–165 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kolkowska, E., Dhillon, G.: Organizational power and information security rule compliance. Comput. Secur. 33, 3–11 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Nyikes, Z.: Digital competence and the safety awareness base on the assessments results of the Middle East-European generations. Proc. Manuf. (2351–9789). 22, 916–922 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2018.03.130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Mosier, K.L., Fischer, U.: The role of affect in naturalistic decision making. J. Cognit. Eng. Decis. Mak. 4(3), 240–255 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kruger, H.A., Kearney, W.D.: A prototype for assessing information security awareness. Comput. Secur. 25, 289–296 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Punia, B.K., Saharan, T.: Management approach and conditions of training: a relative study of service and manufacturing industries. Vision J. Bus. Perspect. 15(3), 239–250 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Nyikes, Z.: Contemporary digital competency review. Interdiscip. Descr. Complex Syst. (1334–4684 1334–4676). 16(1), 124–131 (2018). https://doi.org/10.7906/indecs.16.1.9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Agarwal, M., Nayak, T.K., Gupta, V.P.: Employees perception towards training in IT sector. Asia Pac. Bus. Rev. 4(2), 34–41 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Spreen, T., Afonos, W., Gerrish, E.: Can employee training influence local fiscal outcomes? Am. Rev. Public Adm. 50(4–5), 401–414 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kohn, A.: Brain science: the forgetting curve–the dirty secret of corporate training. http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1379/brain-science-the-forgetting-curvethe-dirty-secretof-corporate-training (2014). Last accessed 29 Sept 2021

  23. Nyikes, Z.: Creation proposal for the digital competency framework of the Middle-East European region. Key Eng. Mater. (1013–9826 1662–9795). 755, 106–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.755.106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Alexopoulos, A.N., Buckley, F.: What trust matters when: the temporal value of professional and personal trust for effective knowledge transfer. Group Org. Manag. 38(3), 361–391 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Helton, W.S., Matthews, G., Warm, J.S.: Stress state mediation between environmental variables and performance: the case of noise and vigilance. Acta Psychologica. 130(3), 204–213 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Nyikes, Z.: Information security issues of RFID. In: Szakál, A. (ed.) SAMI 2016: IEEE 14th International Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics 2016, pp. 111–114. IEEE, New York (2016) ISBN:9781467387392

    Google Scholar 

  27. Baker, F.R., Baker, K.L., Burrell, J.: Introducing the skills-based model of personal resilience: drawing on content and process factors to build resilience in the workplace. J. Occup. Org. Psychol. 94(2), 458–481 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Nyikes, Z., Rajnai, Z.: Big data, as part of the critical infrastructure. In: Szakál, A. (ed.) SISY 2015, IEEE 13th International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics: Proceedings, pp. 217–222. IEEE, New York (2015) ISBN:9781467393881

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kowalski-Trakofler, K.M., Vaught, C., Scharf, T.: Judgment and decision making under stress: an overview for emergency managers. Int. J. Emerg. Manag. 1(3), 278–289 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Hon, A.H.Y.: Shaping environments conductive to creativity: the role of intrinsic motivation. Cornell Hosp. Q. 53(1), 53–64 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Cavanaugh, M.A., Boswell, W.R., Roehling, M.V., Boudreau, J.W.: An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among U.S. managers. J. Appl. Psychol. 1, 65–74 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Pursiainen, C.: Critical infrastructure resilience: a Nordic model in the making? Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 27, 632–641 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary

    Kornélia Lazányi

  2. European University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania

    Adela Danaj

Authors
  1. Kornélia Lazányi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adela Danaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kornélia Lazányi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Mech. and Safety Engineering, Óbuda University, Budapest, Hungary

    Tünde Anna Kovács

  2. Milton Friedman University, Budapest, Hungary

    Zoltán Nyikes

  3. College of Applied Sciences, Subotica Tech, Subotica, Serbia

    Igor Fürstner

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature B.V.

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Lazányi, K., Danaj, A. (2022). Critical Threat of Critical Infrastructures: The Human Factor. In: Kovács, T.A., Nyikes, Z., Fürstner, I. (eds) Security-Related Advanced Technologies in Critical Infrastructure Protection. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2174-3_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2174-3_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-2173-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-2174-3

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation