The terrorist threat to critical infrastructure from the perspective of criminal risk

Abstract

The field of critical infrastructure protection emerged as part of the fight against terrorism. Although a transition to an all-hazards approach has taken place, terrorism remains a significant threat to entities providing essential services. The relief of the legislative framework provides a nuanced understanding of the interrelationship between the constructs of critical infrastructure and terrorism, conceptualizing the latter in the context of criminal risk. By criminalizing acts of terrorism, the legislator intends to protect social values, including those values dependent on the functioning of critical infrastructure. Moreover, exemplification through case law contributes to identifying vulnerabilities and facilitates scenario building based on criminal risks.