Cyber Resilience: A Review of Critical National Infrastructure and Cyber-Security Protection Measures Applied in the UK and USA

Abstract

Imagine a future world held to ransom by the demands of a hidden unnamed force lurking behind computer screens and operating in murky shadows. Imagine the same forces causing indiscriminate and lasting harm in an ever-increasing technologically dependent world. A world where a private GPS or home smart meters could be hacked and reprogrammed remotely without the owner’s permission or knowledge; where financial systems might unexpectedly suffer malicious downtime; where ICT systems are hacked to steal highly confidential information or intellectual property; where power grids are interfered with, water treatment plants remotely breached and attacked by digital terrorists and cyber activists, and public transportation networks (ICT systems) targeted to cause maximum chaos during peak travel periods. Maybe this all sounds like another Hollywood blockbuster movie. However, consider the alternative that it is a real prospect. If so, what can be done to safeguard the basic way of life? In particular, what is being done by countries like the UK and USA to safeguard the security people have come to expect and enjoy but may take for granted?

This chapter has been previously published in the Journal of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning (2014), 7(2): 149–62.