What is Critical Infrastructure?
Critical infrastructure (CI) refers to the assets, systems, and networks that are essential for the functioning of a society and its economy. These include physical assets that support the delivery of services such as energy, water, transportation, healthcare, communications, emergency services, and financial services. The term critical infrastructure also encompasses the resources, facilities, and systems that are necessary for national security, public safety, and public health.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) identifies 16 CI sectors in the United States, as shown in Figure 1.1. These sectors are considered so vital that their disruption, incapacitation, or destruction could have a severe impact on national security, public health and safety, or economic security:
Figure 1.1 – Critical infrastructure sector
This chapter will cover the following topics:
- Overview of CI sectors
- Impacts of compromised sectors
- Cyberattack scenarios in CI sectors
- Risk mitigation examples
To shift our focus toward a more detailed examination of each sector, let’s now explore them individually.