Leveraging AI and Machine Learning for the Protection of Critical National Infrastructure

No nation can exist or survive without critical infrastructure (CI), which is why a nation’s growth, development, welling, standard of living, possessions, and even governance are weighed by the kind of CI obtained therein. There are growing concerns about the need and how to protect CI from cyber threats in the 21st century era of digitalization. This descriptive survey research aims at showing how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be leveraged for the protection of critical national infrastructure (CNI). The study relies on secondary data, which are subjected to thematic systematic review. Interpretive and descriptive analytic techniques are used. The analysis shows that leveraging AI and ML for the protection can yield huge results, as they optimize detection of and response to threats, facilitate efficient physical maintenance, optimally evaluate and manage risks, increase awareness, and simulate and train human employees in the CNI sector. The study concludes that these cutting edge technologies have more capacities and opportunities for the protection of CNI from cyber threats than other non-technological and less advanced technological mechanisms. It calls on stakeholders, especially national governments and authorities of the organizations involved in CNI, to make concerted efforts to surmount the challenges of AI and ML adoption and ensure significant protection of CNI across nations of the globe. Doing so would pave way for extensive practical usage of AI and ML for the protection of CNI.