Critical Infrastructure Elements Research Articles

Simulation of detonation and blast waves propagation

Abstract Among the priorities of the Slovak Republic we consider the protection of elements of critical infrastructure, indispensably including the transport infrastructure, which has to be constantly improve and modernize. Researching the protection of these elements, part of the researchers is focusing on ways to protect assets from the blast effects. An explosion can’t be solely caused due to a terrorist attack or other violent crime. Most frequent causes include electrical short circuits, gas pipeline disturbances, or vehicle crashes, which can cause transportation collapse for up to a few days. Before realization of the blast protection of assets, a number of simulations are required to provide the necessary information for application of a suitable way how to secure a selected critical infrastructure element. The most important issue is to know the blast waves propagation and their mitigation. The paper is focused on the various simulation methods to simulate the blast wave propagation as pressure-time function, compressed balloon, mapping algorithm or solid TNT.

Kritikus infrastruktúrák komplex biztonságvédelmi rendszereinek tervezése, kialakítása, különös tekintettel a beléptetőrendszerek alkalmazására

Nowadays, modern societies are highly dependent on complex systems of technical and virtual infrastructure (e.g. energy supply, drinking water supply, ICT networks, etc.). The malfunctions of these systems and the temporary loss or destruction of some of their elements have a significant impact on our daily lives, on the efficient functioning of the economy and of the government.The state, the economic actors, and the general public expect these essential critical infrastructures to operate with the utmost security. In order to protect critical infrastructure elements from acts of terrorism, natural disasters and accidents, it is important that disruption or manipulation of the operation of infrastructures should be prevented, further to the point, it should be managed with exceptional care and within a short time frame.The present study deals with the design of critical infrastructure security systems, focusing on the requirements for access control systems.

Resilience and Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure Resilience and Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure

The article deals with resilience and protection of critical information infrastructure elements. The elements affect rapid recovery of the system to its original state and the increase of resistance during the subsequent emergency events. The article also deals with sectoral and cross-sectional criteria for determining the critical information infrastructure elements, which are closely related to resilience and protection. Risk assessment has been conducted in the area of critical information infrastructure. Finally, amendments of the Czech Cyber Security Act have been mentioned.

Assessing the Cascading Effect of Energy and Transport Critical Infrastructure Elements: Case Study

This article focuses on the issue of assessing the cascading effects of critical energy and transport infrastructure elements at the fundamental level. The introductory part deals with the typology of failures and their impacts, which spread through the critical infrastructure system. At this stage, the paper presents current approaches to assessing the cascading effects and, in particular, addresses a newly developed assessment methodology. The following part defines the initial conditions of assessment and describes selected elements from the areas of energy and rail transport to which the methodology will be subsequently applied. The main part of the article is a case study of the proposed methodology, assessing the cascading effects by calculating the value of their risks, depending on the resilience and correlation of the rated elements.

The critical infrastructure protection. Legislation

The content outline: in accordance with law, the Polish critical infrastructure constitutes 11 sectors, vital for national security and public safety persistence. Two of the sectors (energy sector and transportation systems sector), are elements of the European Critical Infrastructure, and due to Poland’s EU and NATO membership, are subject to particular protection. The paper describes general principles of Polish critical infrastructure safety law acts and critical infrastructure sectors. Later in this paper, 4 alert states (THREATCON), and their impact on the critical infrastructure safety and protection were presented. The purpose and the program content of the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Programme and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan were described.

The New Procedure for Identification of Infrastructure Elements Significance in Sub-Sector Railway Transport

The paper focuses on the problem of importance/significance elements evaluation in the railway transport infrastructure sub-systems. It contains main features of the proposed theoretical approach to the significance assessment of the key typological elements of railways infrastructure. The research also attempted to design an effective methodology, which allows assessing the significance of infrastructure objects. The purpose of the multi-criteria assessment of selected sections and typological objects is to select the most significant/important ones from the point of view of maintaining the railway operability. The selection is conducted using the assessment of a section or an object, following the pre-defined criteria. The developed methodology should help to set a group of potential elements of critical infrastructure in the railway sub-sector.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Homemade and Industrially Made ANFO Explosives as an Improvised Explosive Device Charge

More than 95 % of all the terrorist attacks are carried out using the ANFO explosives. The ANFO explosives are explosives made from ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. They can be in three different variants (ammonium nitrate with oil, ammonium nitrate with oil and aluminium powder or ammonium nitrate with oil and TNT). This paper describes analysis of the field test results of ANFO explosives of different types. The efficacy of industrially made and the homemade ANFO explosives is compared and their possible usage in terrorist attacks for the treatment or the damage of critical infrastructure elements is described.

Resilience of Critical Infrastructure Elements and Its Main Factors

Resilience in a critical infrastructure system can be viewed as a quality that reduces vulnerability, minimizes the consequences of threats, accelerates response and recovery, and facilitates adaptation to a disruptive event. In this context, comprehensive knowledge of the environment and of the main factors whereby resilience is determined, limited, and affected can be said to represent the fundamental precondition for strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure elements. Based on this idea, the article defines the initial and functional conditions for building and strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure elements, i.e., the resilience concept in a critical infrastructure system. Subsequently, factors determining the resilience of these elements are identified, both in terms of technical resilience (i.e., robustness and recoverability) and organizational resilience (i.e., adaptability). In the final part of the article, these factors are presented in greater detail in the context of case studies focused on the electricity, gas, information and communications technology, and road transport sectors. Determination of these factors is examined with regard to the intensity of a disruptive event and the performance of the respective critical infrastructure element.

About the single system of protection classes of elements of critical information infrastructure by the criteria of importance and information security

In work on the basis of integration of criteria of elements of importance for critical information infrastructure and information security, and single network security trust model, a single system of protection classes of elements of critical information infrastructure is developed.

Reliability of Selected Critical Infrastructure Elements

The paper brings an overview of aspect of reliability of selected critical infrastructure elements. Firstly critical infrastructure elements are defined. Extreme loading of such elements and the normative standards are mentioned. The paper brings an overview about a current research connected with critical infrastructure element protection and in conclusions defines new challenges for the research in the problem.

Managing incident response in the industrial internet of things

Industrial control systems (ICS) are an essential element of critical national infrastructure, often managing processes and utilities that are essential to a nation's wellbeing and prosperity. These systems are increasingly the target of cyber attacks, and thus are required to adopt a stronger cyber defence posture. The integration of industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices with existing, proprietary operational technology (OT) poses new challenges to incident responders operating in these heterogeneous environments. This paper explores the characteristics of ICS and considers them within an established incident response framework. We conclude that existing incident response processes are applicable to ICS. We recommend that these models be developed and tested within synthetic environments to quantify antagonistic impacts, drive architectural improvements and increase incident response investment.

Managing incident response in the industrial internet of things

Industrial control systems (ICS) are an essential element of critical national infrastructure, often managing processes and utilities that are essential to a nation's wellbeing and prosperity. These systems are increasingly the target of cyber attacks, and thus are required to adopt a stronger cyber defence posture. The integration of industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices with existing, proprietary operational technology (OT) poses new challenges to incident responders operating in these heterogeneous environments. This paper explores the characteristics of ICS and considers them within an established incident response framework. We conclude that existing incident response processes are applicable to ICS. We recommend that these models be developed and tested within synthetic environments to quantify antagonistic impacts, drive architectural improvements and increase incident response investment.

АЛГОРИТМ ПРАКТИЧНОЇ РОЗРОБКИ ІНТЕРАКТИВНОЇ ТЕМАТИЧНОЇ КАРТИ КРИТИЧНОЇ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ МІСТА КИЄВА

The article is devoted to the consideration of issues of development of the multifunctional interactive thematic map of the critical infrastructure of Kyiv city with the wording of the corresponding algorithm. Based on the analysis of existing technological solutions for the practical development of interactive maps – electronic mapping models with the two-way user dialogical interaction and technical support of their functioning – for the specific solution substantiated application geoinformation technological approach with visualization. The theoretical and methodological level of development of an algorithm for creating the interactive map of the critical infrastructure of Kyiv city with presentation on it of the conceptual model of the geographic data of the cartographical object, which includes: description and definition of geographical elements, which form it; select types of spatial objects to display critical infrastructure elements on the map; formulation of the solution of the question of how to represent their dimensionality and interrelationships with objects in reality; database contents; requirements for the obtained results. Methodological level of the algorithm for creating the interactive map of critical infrastructure according to the chosen technology provides for the development of the logical structure of the database elements in accordance with the management system of them, used in software, and also related with hardware and software tools for its physical realization. The main stages of the algorithm for creating an interactive map of critical infrastructure of Kyiv city, which form the sequence of its creation, is defined: selection of software products to provide cartographic visualization of the necessary thematic information in the form of mapping indicators (critical infrastructure objects) geographically based on the application of the principle of multi-level generalization by tile technology solution and server approach (first stage); representation of data in the relational database in accordance with the definition and content of spatial objects and their transformation into mapping indicators (second); the formation of a web page for displaying general geographic and thematic information in the dialogue session of the user with an interactive mapping model (third stage).

Method of object identification of critical information infrastructure in aviation industry

In recent times all over the world the number of different emergency situations was increased. Every day mass media informs about natural and man-caused disasters, weapon conflicts, acts of terrorism, global crimes, acts of piracy that were committed by both crime organizations and single offenders. Increasingly frequently as a result of these events many people fall a victim and also state critical importance systems and resources can be damaged. According that, civil aviation industry requires special attention, just as there is need for continuous communication and interconnection between ground-based and aircrafts systems. Most of the world's leading states began to devote considerable attention to the methods and means of identifying, systematizing and securing critical infrastructure objects. Loss or operational breakdown of these objects can cause significant or irreparably damage for national security of the state. However, according to the analysis, the existing approaches to identifying and identifying infrastructure objects are not systemic and clearly formalized, are oriented only to certain sectors of the infrastructure and do not take into account the full range of parameters and features of the critical infrastructure, especially its information component. In view of this, in this work a method of object identification of critical information infrastructure is developed, which gives ability to determine the critical infrastructure elements, their mutual influence and influence on functional operations of the critical aviation information system. This method, as well as a software application developed on its basis, can be used for identification the objects of critical information infrastructure in different industries.

Airfield pavements as an element of critical infrastructure in the airport safety management process

Contemporary planes moving with high velocity and loads require well design, properly building and maintenance airfield pavements. The main objective of this factors is provide safety conditions for moving planes. Technical condition airfield pavements has a direct impact on the safety performance of air operations. This forces the need to have full knowledge of their condition, which will be allowed to take appropriate decisions to ensure their safe operation. In this paper the issues connected with the assessment of airfield pavements health, such as: methodology assessment of the degradation degree, bearing capacity, evenness, roughness and Polish Standards in force and Air Force Institute of Technology developed procedures are presented. Moreover, possible operating danger and realize research work for safety improvement are presented.

Identification of critical infrastructure and its threats

The significance of critical infrastructure, which is defined as devices, service institutions, as well as other areas that have a pertinent meaning on the sense of security of the citizens and the efficient functioning of the national economy, has gained new importance in recent years. The lessons learned from recent military conflicts and terrorist attacks, as well as analysis of events caused by natural disasters clearly demonstrate that disruption of the regular functioning of the individual elements of critical infrastructure might have a negative impact on its functioning as a single system. A wide spectrum of possible evaluating threats trigger development of new and effective solutions for protecting the critical infrastructure.

Comprehensive Approach to the Asymmetric Endangerment of National Critical Infrastructure

Contemporary global security moment are characterized by great interaction of national and supra-national security structure, the interdependence of national, regional and multilateral forms of higher security integration. However, the role of the state as a single security entity in international relations remains a crucial and indispensable role in the broadest observation security organization. Also, in the contemporary global security paradigm, actualization of asymmetric forms of endangering state security should not be overlooked. The arising question is: How much individual country, especially those in transition process, could comprehensively respond to the current form of asymmetric national security threats to critical infrastructure? Moreover, South East Europe (SEE), or even closer, Western Balkan region, is the part of European continent that we can, by historically overlook, analyzing as the cradle and arena of complex, escalating conflicts. All of them are concluded by the mediation of third part, usually through the negotiation and bargaining of the “big players” on the world’s stage. In this region, the nation’s looking for their own national paradigms, which are often in correlation with the interests of global powers. The beginning of the twenty-first century reflects a significant aspiration of all countries in this part of Europe for development of partnership and allied relations toward of contemporary security risks and threats. Acknowledging the declarations and growing bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of security and defense, yet, the questions arises as: Whether states of Southeast Europe identify same security risks and threats? Do they have a unanimous opinion of the potential ways of the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure? Do they share the perception that the security of Southeast Europe are equally nationally as well as common regional issue? The complexity and multifaceted of named questions leads to necessity of a comprehensive approach to the analysis of forms of potential endangering elements of national critical infrastructure which are crucial for security. In addition, particular attention should be paid to unconventional, asymmetric forms of national security jeopardizing and their potential endangering effects on elements of national critical infrastructure. In this paper authors offer the possible overlook of the cross analysis of asymmetrical endangering of national critical infrastructure of Western Balkan countries, as part of SEE. In paper authors use comparative analysis of contemporary approach to the concept of asymmetric security threats, through the prism of particular states perception of endangering forms regarding their national critical infrastructure.

A New Approach to Identification of Critical Elements in Railway Infrastructure

The paper contains a presentation of new approaches to solving the problem of identifying critical infrastructure elements in the railway sub-sector. The research objective was to analyse the procedures which are used to identify the potential elements of critical infrastructure in the transportation sector. Specific attention is paid to criteria of methods developed in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The objective of the work is based on the analysis of the current state of art. The research also attempted to design an effective methodology which allows assessing the significance of rail infrastructure elements. The developed methodology should help to set a group of potential elements of critical infrastructure in the railway sub-sector.

Assessment of Critical Infrastructure Elements in Transport

The paper describes the long process of developing the transport system of risk assessment models. Researchers in Central European countries many years solved the risk assessment models which are based on the accident scenarios. Purpose and objectives realized research directed at finding the dependencies between the state of transport infrastructure and its potential threat. Various hazardous events, which have the potential to lead to casualties probably, were defined by gathering various accident reports and having conferences and workshops with transport safety and security experts. The developed models will be used to assess the accident risk of the road and railway systems. The frequency of each hazardous event was evaluated from the historical accident data and structured expert Judgments by using the technique FTA, ETA technique and other suitable methods were applied. Research results have shown the need to return more new measures in the response to new sources of risk.

Bases for Modelling the Impacts of the Critical Infrastructure Failure

Critical infrastructure represents a complex system that is constantly exposed to negative effects and threats from both external and internal environment. The consequences of the action of these effects and threats cause disruptions or failures of operational parameters of the critical infrastructure elements. Such failures are then reflected in negative impacts on other critical infrastructure elements or directly on the protected interests of society, i.e. security of the state, the economy and basic needs of the population. Modelling the impacts of the critical infrastructure failure thus constitutes a very complex process which must take into account the considerable amount of internal and external factors affecting the functioning of critical infrastructure system.In research of the bases for modelling the impacts of the critical infrastructure failure, this article focuses on crucial factors that shape the nature of impacts and defines the environment in which their modelling is examined. In particular, this relates to the application of a systems approach to research of phenomena in the critical infrastructure system and the need for research of impacts using a bottom-up approach. In this context, the article presents a proposal for the transformation of cross-cutting criteria to the regional level. An important role is also played by the need to define a unified framework for security and risk management of the European critical infrastructure. The last important starting point is the need to implement preference assessment because an important group of owners includes private entities whose preferences are significantly different compared to subjects of public administration. Through meeting the above objective, the article markedly contributes to increasing the resilience of critical infrastructure and its capability of responding to a variety of emergency or crisis situations.