Critical Infrastructure Protection System Research Articles

Building a Legislative Framework for Securing Georgia’s Strategic Assets

Abstract The article discusses the importance of modernizing and securing critical infrastructure in Georgia, particularly within the context of its geopolitical position and evolving economic landscape, by building an appropriate legal framework. The article outlines the signifi cant impact of cyberspace on traditional sectors such as energy, transportation, and telecommunications, necessitating a re-evaluation of critical infrastructure in the digital age. Highlighting Georgia’s aspirations to align with European and Euro-Atlantic structures for enhanced national security and democratization, the study emphasizes the need for regulatory and legislative frameworks that would be compatible with EU standards. Drawing on a comparative analysis between Estonia and Georgia, the research identifies gaps and areas for improvement in Georgia’s critical infrastructure protection (CIP) system. Through the examination of Estonia’s successful transformation from a Soviet-era environment to a robust EU-compatible CIP system, the study offers recommendations tailored to Georgia’s context.

INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STATE POLICY OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION

The article analyzes modern features of state policy in the field of critical infrastructure protection. Attention is focused on the need for institutional transformations in the direction of improving efficiency, transparency, responsibility and responding to new security challenges in the conditions of a hybrid war with the Russian Federation.
 The practice of protecting critical infrastructure facilities in developed countries has been studied. It was determined that its priority is the actualization of the predicate of stability of critical infrastructure objects. The content of normative and legal acts of Ukraine in this area was analyzed. A number of provisions have been identified that allow the adjustment of the domestic security doctrine to the European vector of stability.
 Within the perspective of the development of the concept of sustainability, the intention of «critical infrastructure stakeholders» is substantiated. This opens up the prospects of creating transparent conditions for ensuring the annihilation of state institutions of power, state protection systems, the private sector, educational and scientific institutions and other stakeholders of critical infrastructure to the National System of Critical Infrastructure Protection at the next levels of management. The possible levels of such cooperation are determined.
 Modern scientific works were analyzed, which studied the prospects of changing the paradigm of protection and stability to the paradigm of resilience. The complex of institutional transformations is proposed to be expanded due to the application within the framework of the functioning of the National Critical Infrastructure Protection System of the process of determining and analyzing the range of risks that the country faces in the spheres of critical infrastructure functioning. The transformation of institutional protection systems is considered through the prism of systemic determinants, among which physical protection and defense, cyber protection and defense, preventive measures of protection and defense, and an educational and scientific approach are highlighted.
 The system of organization at the state level of conducting regular interdisciplinary trainings on the operational response to emergency situations at facilities has been studied. It is proposed to increase clarity in the delineation of responsibility for project threats and to strengthen control over compliance with the systematicity of interdisciplinary training. On the basis of the extrapolations of scientists' hypotheses and the results of the author's research, a proposal was made to systematize the main proposals for institutional transformations in the direction of increasing the effectiveness of the state policy for the protection of critical infrastructure in the form of a Preventive concept of resilience of critical infrastructure objects.

ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ПІДГОТОВКИ ФАХІВЦІВ У СФЕРІ ЗАХИСТУ КРИТИЧНОЇ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ: КОМПЕТЕНЦІЇ ВИПУСКНИКІВ ТА ЗМІСТ НАВЧАЛЬНИХ ДИСЦИПЛІН

Background . The Law of Ukraine "On Critical Infrastructure" defines the task of ensuring the security and resilience of critical infrastructure. The practice of implementation of the Law provisions shows the need to introduce a system of education and training of personnel in this area. The observed tendencies of increasing of the range of threats to critical infrastructure, in particular during armed conflict, only emphasize the urgency of raising the level of knowledge and skills of personnel in this area. The purpose of the article is to review potential formats of education and identification of fields of knowledge and specialties within which it is appropriate to reflect issues of critical infrastructure protection in the educational process. Among the important tasks of the article are: a review of research on the problems and the practice of implementation of the educational process in this field, an analysis of legislative and organizational opportunities for the introduction of educational programs, a review of higher education standards and programs, identification of basic competencies of graduates and program results of studies in this area. Methods . There were used methods of theoretical-methodological and comparative analysis for the developing conceptual approaches to the organization of education process on the issues of security and resilience of critical infrastructure. The system-functional analysis of the tasks of the subjects responsible for critical infrastructure protection was used to determine the fields of knowledge and specialties in which it is appropriate to train specialists. Methods of system analysis to form a list of program results of training in this area. Results . The article proposes a methodical approach to determining the necessary competencies, knowledge and skills of the personnel of the subjects of the national system of critical infrastructure protection. The list of specialties in which it is expedient to train specialists by higher education institutions of Ukraine has been defined. A set of competencies and program learning outcomes have been developed, which could serve as basic for developing educational standards and educational programs. A set of educational disciplines is offered that can be a component of the educational process in selected specialties. Conclusions . The article substantiates the legislative conditionality and scientific and practical relevance to establish the system of specialists training in the field of critical infrastructure protection. Though, the training system can cover various forms and methods of training, at the current stage of development of the national critical infrastructure protection system of Ukraine, it is advisable to introduce separate educational programs within the framework of existing educational programs of defined set of specialties. There has been developed the competencies and program outcomes for graduates. A set of educational disciplines that can be a component of the educational process in selected specialties is also proposed. In future, it is necessary to continue research on the development of specific educational programs on the security and resilience of critical infrastructure for various specialties.

Exploratory Study on the US NIPP Establishment Process for Strengthening National Critical Infrastructure Protection System in Korea

This study aims to strengthen and improve the evaluation system for national critical infrastructure protection by considering the importance of such infrastructure and the key feature of interdependency. This research analyzed the changing trends of the national critical infrastructure protection plan in the United States (NIPP-2006, NIPP-2009, NIPP-2013) to derive implications and propose a plan for developing the evaluation system for national infra protection. As a result of the analysis, the problems of Korean NIPP are as follows; First, the national goal of protecting national critical infrastructure is unclear. Second, understanding of the interdependence and independence of the national critical infrastructure is relatively weak due to the lack of national infra protection goals. Third, it is a matter of utilizing the evaluation results of the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan. Therefore, it is judged that it is time to consider changing the fundamental approach to the national critical infrastructure protection system and resetting the direction of the protection plan.

Protection of critical infrastructure as a component of Ukraine’s national security

The relevance of the subject under study is conditioned upon the scientific originality and practical significance of the problematic aspects of the protection of critical infrastructure as a component of the national security of Ukraine, specifically, regarding the creation and functioning of the national system of its protection. Given the fact that the term “critical infrastructure” is relatively new for Ukrainian legislation, a comprehensive list of objects included in its system has not yet been formed, and the optimal algorithms for ensuring their security have not been determined. The purpose of this study was a comprehensive investigation of Ukrainian legislation in the field of national security, which determines the legal and organizational foundations of the creation and functioning of the national critical infrastructure protection system, as well as obtaining scientific results in the form of conclusions aimed at optimizing the implementation of critical infrastructure protection. The methodological tools of the study included the hermeneutic method of learning social and legal phenomena, analytical, dogmatic, and generalization method. Considering the European integration processes of Ukraine, scientifically sound proposals were provided to improve the national legislation in the field of critical infrastructure protection according to international legal acts that govern issues of safety and protection of critical infrastructure objects. The term “critical infrastructure” was studied, the state of scientific developments regarding its protection was analysed, the algorithm of actions to ensure its security was analysed and determined, factoring in the Ukrainian political and military situation in the state

ТЕОРЕТИЧНІ ОСНОВИ ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ЗАХИСТУ ОБ’ЄКТІВ КРИТИЧНОЇ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ УКРАЇНИ

It was determined that in the conditions of armed confrontation on the territory of Ukraine, crisis situations constantly arise, threatening the safety of critical infrastructure facilities. In connection with the armed aggression on the territory of Ukraine, significant losses were caused, namely more than 30 % of critical infrastructure objects were damaged. Therefore, the armed aggression against Ukraine became an impetus for large-scale and structural reforms in the sphere of security and defense of Ukraine. In this aspect, the task of forming a system of protection of critical infrastructure objects of Ukraine arises. Issues of substantiation of the system of protection of critical infrastructure objects at the state level were almost not studied, which determined the relevance of this scientific study. The analysis of legal acts regulating the powers of the components of the security and defense sector of Ukraine, which are relied upon for the formation and/or implementation of state policy in the field of critical infrastructure protection, proved that to date the largest contribution to ensuring the security of critical infrastructure objects of Ukraine is in parts of the immediate protection and defense are carried out by units and units of the National Guard of Ukraine. In the field of cyber security of critical infrastructure facilities, as well as reconnaissance and subversive activities, the main efforts are made by the bodies and units of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine, while units and units of the National Service of Ukraine also participate. When the issues of prevention and liquidation of the consequences of emergency situations due to accidents at critical infrastructure facilities are already raised, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine already plays the "first violin", but units and units of the National Guard of Ukraine also take a direct part in similar crisis situations. Therefore, the invaluable role and place of the National Guard of Ukraine in the protection of critical infrastructure objects of Ukraine became the motivation for conducting this study. It has been established that the Concept of creating a state critical infrastructure protection system for the creation of an organizational and institutional structure for the functioning of the state critical infrastructure protection system provides for the implementation of a number of measures at the national, regional, branch level, as well as at the local and object level, which to date are still almost not fulfilled Therefore, the organization of critical infrastructure security is a complex process that includes not only security mechanisms, but also coordination and management aspects. For the effective functioning of this system, highly qualified specialists in training, retraining and practical experience are needed. The directions of further scientific research will be aimed at the development of conceptual models of the functioning of the forces and means of formations of the National Guard of Ukraine among the components of the security and defense sector of Ukraine regarding the performance of tasks for the protection of critical infrastructure objects of Ukraine both in peacetime and during crisis situations, and also in the conditions of the special period.

Посилення захисту критичної інфраструктури: вітчизняні реалії та міжнародне співробітництво

The article emphasizes that the creation of a state system of critical infrastructure protection requires legal regulation of the basic principles of its operation, the introduction of common approaches to the management of system facilities at the state and local levels, defining the principles of interaction between state bodies and society. and citizens. Specific problematic aspects of the sphere of critical infrastructure protection in the process of reform are considered, among which: lack of a unified national system of critical infrastructure protection; insufficiency and inconsistency of normative-legal regulation on protection of systems and objects of critical infrastructure; lack of a state body responsible for coordinating actions in the field of critical infrastructure protection, uncertainty of powers, tasks and responsibilities of central executive bodies and other state bodies in the field of critical infrastructure protection, as well as rights, duties and responsibilities of owners (managers) critical infrastructure; underdeveloped public-private partnership in the field of critical infrastructure protection and uncertainty of sources of funding for critical infrastructure protection measures, insufficient level of international cooperation in the field of critical infrastructure protection. Some issues of strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure in the context of cooperation with IFI`s have been studied. The authors consider the financing of infrastructure development projects implemented in Ukraine through borrowings raised by Ukraine from international partners, including the EBRD, the World Bank, KfW and others. The need to adopt the draft Law of Ukraine “On Critical Infrastructure” № 5219 was emphasized. To support the critical infrastructure protection management system, it is proposed to adopt a Critical Infrastructure Protection Management Strategy for the medium term until 2025, which will form the basis for sustainable and inclusive development of the critical infrastructure protection system and the national economy in general.

Bezbednosni menadžment u oblasti zaštite kritične infrastrukture u Republici Srbiji - stanje i perspektive

Term "critical infrastructure" became part of the post-Cold War security discourse when the first legal and political acts, containing this term, emerged. The Law on Critical Infrastructure in the Republic of Serbia was adopted in 2018, and some of the most important issues regulated by the Law are the competences and responsibilities of entities in the critical infrastructure protection system. The subject of our research was security management in the field of critical infrastructure protection. As a result of the research in the paper: 1. Levels, types and competencies of security management in the field of critical infrastructure protection have been identified; 2. Their mutual relationship has been determined and 3. Recommendations of measures and solutions that need to be taken in order to establish an integrated protection system in this area have been given.

ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ЗАВДАНЬ ТА ПОВНОВАЖЕНЬ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ГВАРДІЇ УКРАЇНИ ЩОДО ЗАХИСТУ ОБ’ЄКТІВ КРИТИЧНОЇ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ

The research was conducted to study the state of development of the issue of protection of critical infrastructure in Ukraine. It is established that the world is increasingly using an integrated approach to ensuring the security of systems, facilities and resources that are crucial to the life of a state or association from criminal encroachments and terrorist threats, as well as threats of another nature - natural, technogenic, social, military ones.It is determined that the term “critical infrastructure” has not yet received its legislative definition, it is, de facto, already used in such fundamental regulations. Today in Ukraine only the legislative base for the protection of critical infrastructure is being formed and the body that will formulate the state policy for the protection of critical infrastructure, as well as the body (military formation) that will be responsible for implementing the tasks of protection of critical infrastructure remains undefined critical infrastructure from various threats.The purpose of the article is to conduct a research to study the state of development of the issue of protection of critical infrastructure in Ukraine and justify the tasks and powers of the National Guard of Ukraine in this area.A legal analysis of the implementation by the National Guard of Ukraine of the tasks to stop terrorist activities and counter-sabotage. It has been proved that the National Guard of Ukraine is involved in anti-terrorist activities and participates in the activities of the Unified State System of Prevention, Response and Cessation of Terrorist Acts and minimization of their consequences, without being part of the system of subjects of fight against terrorism. Counter-sabotage activities are a direct form of execution by the National Guard of Ukraine of tasks related to the cessation of terrorist activities.It is substantiated that at the stage of creation and organization of the State Critical Infrastructure Protection System, including by determining the Authorized Body for Critical Infrastructure Protection of Ukraine and determining the competence and authorities in the field of critical infrastructure protection of other subjects of the state critical infrastructure protection system. The National Guard of Ukraine in this system is not normatively defined.It is proved that the legal status, level of logistics and training of personnel, the presence of special units in the National Guard of Ukraine that perform the functions of units for counter-sabotage, their experience in performing counter-sabotage tasks in the field of the anti-terrorist operation and joint operations forces allow considering the National Guard of Ukraine the main subject of counter-sabotage activities ‒ the Authorized Body for Critical Infrastructure Protection of Ukraine both within the territorial defense and in peacetime for the protection of critical infrastructure.Areas of further research will focus on the protection of critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ЗАСАДИ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ТА ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ БЕЗПЕКИ КРИТИЧНИХ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНИХ ІНФРАСТРУКТУР

The world trends in increasing of threats of natural and man-made nature, a level of terrorist threats, the number and complexity of cyberattacks have caused the actualization of needs for critical information infrastructure protection and improvement it's informational security and functional safety. A critical information infrastructure is considered as a set of information and telecommunication systems, improper operation of which may lead to the occurrence of an accident of critical infrastructure (energy, transport, etc.), as well as to decrease in quality of its services. The subject of paper’s study is the mechanisms for ensuring the safety (protection) of critical information infrastructures. The purpose of the paper is to substantiate the approach to the development of methodological foundations and technologies for assessing and ensuring the safety (protection) of critical information infrastructures taking into account the state and capabilities of modern information technologies. The methods used are: systems analysis methods, mathematical optimization methods, safety, and risk theory methods. The following results were obtained. The main tasks of the critical infrastructure protection system are formulated. The necessity of using the system of protection of critical information infrastructure as part of the system of protection of critical infrastructure is substantiated. The concept and principles of the methodology for assessing and ensuring the safety (protection) of critical information infrastructures are developed, working hypotheses, methods and models necessary for their implementation are suggested. The way of interaction of the elements of the proposed methodology, tasks and elements of the critical infrastructure protection system is shown. The results obtained are aimed at solving of one fundamental problem such as the existence of a contradiction between the intensive development of critical information infrastructures, negative influences and threats of various nature and the lack of methodological foundations, models, methods and information technologies for assessment and assurance of critical information infrastructure security and safety. The results obtained should be used to create elements of informational and analytical support for the decision maker in solving tasks related to the assessment and security (protection) of critical infrastructure

Improving the Effectiveness of Protective Means through Modelling the Initial Kinematic Parameters of the Fragmentation Field

The purpose of this article is to develop a mathematical model describing the process of forming the initial kinematic parameters of the fragmentation field. Efforts to increase the effectiveness of ammunitions have been explored, namely increasing the area of damage, by using system for continuous initiation of the explosive substance. The results obtained can be used in the development of ammunitions designed for countering terrorist and other threats as components of critical infrastructure protection systems.

Improving the Effectiveness of Protective Means through Modelling the Initial Kinematic Parameters of the Fragmentation Field

The purpose of this article is to develop a mathematical model describing the process of forming the initial kinematic parameters of the fragmentation field. Efforts to increase the effectiveness of ammunitions have been explored, namely increasing the area of damage, by using system for continuous initiation of the explosive substance. The results obtained can be used in the development of ammunitions designed for countering terrorist and other threats as components of critical infrastructure protection systems.

Comprehensive Security and Crisis & Emergency Management for Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Recently, interest has heightened over 'critical infrastructures' and their reliability in the face of potential terrorist attack. Assault on any of the critical infrastructures as transportation, power, water, telecommunications, and financial services, entails great consequences for their users as well as the other interdependent critical infrastructures. How to protect our vital critical infrastructures is the key question in this paper. The purpose of this article is to suggest the implications for crisis and emergency management to protect the critical infrastructures in our society. For achieving the purpose, we examined the concept of comprehensive security, national crisis, and critical infrastructure and, using the holistic approach, we examined the comprehensive emergency management for suggesting the implications for establishing the critical infrastructure protection system; building up the high reliability organization, organizing and partnering, assessing the risk, preparing first responders, working with private owners of critical infrastructures, working with communities, improving the administrative capacity.

Applying the System Approach to the Study of Critical Infrastructure

Nowadays, in conditions of transformation in the maritime sector of the country, associated with changes of possession forms, establishment of new economic rules and overcoming the difficulties encountered in any period of changes, new types of relations for coordination of activities in the maritime domain are determined. They are established using a new type of civil-military cooperation in protection of the sea interests of the state, as well as in guaranteeing maritime security. The maritime critical infrastructure protection system is an instrument for adapting these relations to neutralization of modern threats, as well as for minimizing the damage effects during crises. This article proposes a register of the Bulgarian maritime critical infrastructure, which is elaborated taking into consideration principles from the modern civil security concept and the experience of leading nations in the area of maritime security.