The Digitalization of Critical Infrastructures – Systemic Considerations, Evolutions of Governance and Elements of a National Research Agenda

The rapid digitalization of all aspects of economic, social, and political life in advanced societies has produced new risks, vulnerabilities, and threats. Rapid technological change is generating new systemic trends related to digitalization. This article presents the main arguments in favour of this view and attempts to delineate the main transformations that will take place, while emphasizing their impact on societal security, including at the level of defence. It does so through the critical infrastructure protection framework, which provides a system-of-systems perspective uniquely suited to the analysis of complex systems and processes.