Center for Infrastructure Protection & Homeland Security

From the Director – July/August 2016

Welcome to the July/August 2016 edition of The CIP Report, in which the focus is the international dimension of Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. This is a rich topic, one which we revisit often for several reasons.  First, while our research confirms that nations employ similar principles in their approach to critical infrastructure security and resilience, specific approaches differ according to national priorities and considerations.  There is much we can learn from this diversity of approach.  Further, global considerations of risk and mitigation cross national borders as threats and solutions originate from and are delivered in an international manner.  This is a timely topic and one that will surely challenge our thinking.

First, Dr. Paul Theron from FBCI presents seven lessons about the resilience of critical infrastructures arguing in favor of more related standards for critical infrastructure resilience, including clearer concepts and vocabulary.  Next, Stephen Jackson from the Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security examines NATO Article 5 and its relationship with cyber warfare. Third, Dr. Robert Mikac from the University of Zagreb and Ivana Cesarec from the National Protection and Rescue Directorate, Republic of Croatia, provide an overview of Croatia’s critical infrastructure laws and address issues surrounding the nation’s system of infrastructure resilience.

Then Francisco Perales offers an alternative method of measuring resiliency in critical infrastructure, called the Resilience Index, that focuses on the consequences of a disturbance and the goal of mitigating system disruptions. Finally, Maria Carla De Maggio and Roberto Setola provide guidance in the formulation of the proper curricula for a Homeland Security Master’s program through an in-depth discussion of the Master’s program at the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy.

We are deeply grateful for the lively discussion that you, our readers, provide with each issue of The CIP Report.  We value the insights you share to make this publication timely, thought provoking and relevant.  We welcome your support of this publication.  If you would like to sponsor and issue or support publication in another manner, please contact me at mtroutma@gmu.edu.  Best wishes in your endeavors and we look forward to your comment!

Warm Regards,
TroutmanSignature
Mark Troutman. PhD
Director, CIP/HS


Lessons and Needs for Improving Critical Infrastructures’ Resilience

Posted: August 10, 2016

Developing a critical infrastructure’s aptitude for resilience requires proper concepts and definitions as well as good governance. This short paper presents seven lessons about resilience of critical infrastructures (CI) that imply a need for more adequate related standards.

NATO Article 5 and Cyber Warfare: NATO’s Ambiguous and Outdated Procedure for Determining When Cyber Aggression Qualifies as an Armed Attack

Posted: August 16, 2016

Stephen Jackson from the Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security examines NATO Article 5 and its relationship with cyber warfare, concluding that NATO should adopt a new procedure to determine when cyber aggression equates to an armed attack warranting collective self-defense.

Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience of the Republic of Croatia

Posted: August 18, 2016

Dr. Robert Mikac from the University of Zagreb and Ivana Cesarec from the National Protection and Rescue Directorate, Republic of Croatia, provide an overview of Croatia’s critical infrastructure laws and address issues surrounding the nation’s system of infrastructure resilience.

Resilience Index: An Alternative in Resilience Measurement

Posted: August 22, 2016

Francisco Perales offers an alternative method of measuring resiliency in critical infrastructure that focuses on the consequences of a disturbance in any particular infrastructure. The author argues that this method, named the Resilience Index, moves toward the objective of attaining perfect resilience, or the ability to mitigate infrastructure disruptions before users perceive any loss of performance.

Teaching Homeland Security: A European Approach

Posted: August 23, 2016

Maria Carla De Maggio and Roberto Setola provide guidance in the formulation of the proper curricula for a Homeland Security Master’s program through an in-depth discussion of the Master’s program at the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Italy, and compare its “All-Hazards philosophy” with those of other international programs.