CNI 2009: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in a Changing World is the title of a RUSI conference on April 29 and 30 at Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall, London.
The UK’s complex networks of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) are the veins and arteries upon which its political, social and economic well being depend. In our increasingly just-in-time society, the UK’s reliance on its CNI has continued to grow and our dependence is now such that even fleeting disruption is potentially disastrous.
In the coming years, the protection of critical infrastructure will be shaped by a growing understanding and practical experience of the threat posed by climate change and growing energy insecurity. These new drivers run in parallel with the global financial crisis. The economic downturn has the potential to constrict security spending and further reduce levels of redundancy within critical networks and services. As a result, the challenges for those protecting infrastructure seem destined to multiply.
In Europe, in the midst of these changing contexts, the new European Directive on Critical Infrastructure Protection has been created. Meanwhile, in the US the incoming administration has committed itself to massive investment in infrastructure.
Speakers:
*Lord West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Security and Counter-terrorism
*Dr Steve Marsh, Cabinet Office (Cyber threat)
*Professor Dieter Helm, Oxford University (Regulation)
*Alan Steelwell, Institute of Chartered Engineers (Underinvestment)
*Speaker, US Dept. Homeland Security (New Critical Infrastructure Priorities)
*Michael Rutter, Dept. of Energy and Climate Change (Energy Resilience)
*Peter Mather, VP BP Europe (Future Energy Challenges)
Topics covered will include:
*Evolving and Emerging Threats to Critical Infrastructure
*Shifting International Contexts and the Implications for Critical Infrastructure
*The Impacts of Economic Crisis on Critical Infrastructure Protection
*New and Growing Infrastructure Dependencies
*Resilient National Infrastructure in a Climate Changed World
*Developing Appropriate Legislative and Regulatory Regimes for Future Infrastructure Protection
*Energy Infrastructure, Security of Supply and the Challenges they pose for the UK
To register, or learn more about this conference, visit
