Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

UNITED KINGDOM

MANUEL SUTER AND ELGIN BRUNNER

Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich, Switzerland

1 CRITICAL SECTORS

In the United Kingdom, the critical national infrastructure (CNI) comprises those key elements of the national infrastructure that are crucial to the continued delivery of essential services to the UK. Without these key elements, essential services could not be delivered and the UK could suffer serious consequences, including severe economic damage, grave social disruption, or even large-scale loss of life [1]. Many of the critical services that are essential to the well-being of the UK depend on IT and are provided by both the public and private sectors. Nine sectors are considered to deliver “essential services”. These are outlined below:

• Communications (Data Communications, Fixed Voice Communications, Mail, Public Information, Wireless Communications),
• Emergency Service(Ambulance, Fire and Rescue, Coastguard, Police),
• Energy(Electricity, Natural Gas, Petroleum),
• Finance(Asset Management, Financial Facilities, Investment Banking, Markets, Retail Banking),
• Food(Produce, Import, Process, Distribute, Retail),
• Government and Public Services (Central, Regional, and Local Government; Parliaments and Legislatures; Justice; National Security),
• Public Safety (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism; Crowds and Mass Events),
• Health (Health Care, Public Health),
• Transport (Air, Marine, Rail, Road),
• Water (Mains Water, Sewerage).

2 PAST AND ...