Globally Critical Infrastructure: The Unique Risks and Challenges

Critical infrastructure is typically identified at the national level. However, disruption to certain infrastructure systems, facilities, and assets can have negative consequences for global societies. Such globally critical infrastructure entails a distinct risk profile for both countries dependent on the infrastructure, and countries that have such infrastructure in their territory. The goal of the article is to provide an initial framing and definition of "globally critical infrastructure" as a concept worthy of attention and explore the unique risk analysis and management challenges to support future, more rigorous examinations. For dependent countries, globally critical infrastructure exists outside of their border (or possibly outside any country's border), under sometimes drastically different economic, political, governance, and threat environments. Risk management entails unique challenges, because countries dependent on that infrastructure may have no legal or regulatory authority to shape risk management practices at facilities in other countries. Consequently, risk management may extend beyond the domains of the typical homeland or internal affairs agencies to include capabilities and responsibilities of ministries of foreign affairs, trade and commerce, and defense. However, those challenges also imply new risk management demands and options, such as new avenues for international cooperation on infrastructure protection and resilience, international funding, and enhanced monitoring. Having a globally critical infrastructure system in its borders changes the risk dynamics for a nation state, creating potential leverage over dependent nations and new avenues to garner international support, but also creates new risks to national sovereignty. Recognizing these common dependencies can better enable the global community to engage stakeholders to develop and implement systemic risk management approaches worldwide.