NCJ Number
191431
Date Published
2000
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This essay describes the private-sector perspective on protecting Critical Infrastructures.
Abstract
The military is depending more on the availability, continuity, and use of commercial products associated with information technology such as: communications bearers, systems networks, applications, hardware, and facilities that provide integral support to military functions. However, these systems are almost always outside the direct control of defense establishments. While the government attempts to set procedures in place to protect the National Critical Infrastructures, globalized information commerce is not developing with similar management objectives. The government defines the National Information Infrastructure as government operations such as defense and emergency services, utilities, telecommunications services, financial industry, manufacturing and production, distribution of food, goods, and services, and transportation. The various “dot.com” and globalized commercial organizations already have an appreciation of the impact should the systems fail or a loss of clients’ business confidence occur. These multinational corporations do not need individual governments to set standards and legislation. Both the government and these corporations need to engage in dialogue to exchange risk models, technical threat information, and develop assurance tool-sets. The starting point is those systems that are common to the whole world and have intercontinental cyber-connectivity.