NATO and critical infrastructure resilience: planning for the unknown

Critical infrastructure is vital for modern existence. It includes communications and the Internet, the logistics of food and water supplies, and transport on the roads, in the air, on water, and by rail. The supply and distribution of gasoline and electricity is perhaps the most important aspect, as it underpins our entire critical infrastructure and indeed our modern way of life. Without power nothing can operate. Our critical infrastructure is however subject to ever increasing asymmetric threats. Such threats can arise from industrial accidents, extreme weather, and deliberate sabotage caused by terrorists and extreme protest. Moreover, those that wish to do harm have an ever increasing ease of access to vital critical infrastructure systems by way of ‘cyber’ information technology. Since 9/11, NATO has adapted to face these new challenges. Continuing this adaptation is vital. The paper argues that information-sharing and emergency planning based on resilience and flexibility is the key way in which we can address these new challenges.