THE SECURITY OF CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE AGE OF MULTIPLE ATTACK VECTORS: NATO’S MULTI-FACETED APPROACH
Journal Title: Europolity - Continuity and Change in European Governance - Year 2017, Vol 11, Issue 1
Abstract
The current NATO threat landscape is characterized by a combination or “hybrid blend” of unconventional emerging challenges (like cyber and terrorist attacks) and re-emerging conventional ones (like Russia’s recent military resurgence and assertiveness, that led to the illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilization in Eastern Ukraine). While the resurgence of the Russian military activity pushed the Alliance in the direction of re-discovering its deterrence and collective defence role, the new, not-traditional, trans-national and essentially non-military treats that generate effects below the threshold of an armed attack require a new paradigm shift with a focus on resilience although the protection of critical energy infrastructure is first and foremost a national responsibility, NATO can contribute to meeting the infrastructure protection challenge on many levels. Given the fact that its core deterrence and defence mandate relies in a great measure on the security of Allies’ energy infrastructure NATO’s role and actions in reducing the vulnerabilities and strengthening the resilience of such infrastructure can only increase. A multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder and networked approach is needed to be able to strengthen defences and resilience of critical infrastructure such as energy. Understanding and defending against cyber or terrorist threat vectors, increased situational awareness, education, training, exercises, trusted partnerships as well as increasing strategic security dialogue and cooperation are key for such a comprehensive/network approach to the challenge.
Authors and Affiliations
Sorin Ducaru
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP197549
- DOI 10.25019/europolity.2017.11.1.01
- Views 106
- Downloads 0
DEFENDING RUSSIA, SECURITISING THE FUTURE: HOW THE PAST SHAPED RUSSIA’S POLITICAL DISCOURSE REGARDING CRIMEA
This paper shows how Russia framed the annexation of Crimea from the securitisation theory perspective, with a focus on the shared past as the key argument. This paper discusses how the idea of shared past in general and...
EUROPEAN UNION DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: A CASE STUDY OF THE EUROPEAN CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE
Despite significant optimism surrounding the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), its success between April 2012 and December 2015 has been limited. This paper aims to determine why the ECI has had limited success and ho...
BOOK REVIEW Andrew Roberts, 2014, Napolon: A Life, Viking, USA, 926 pages, ISBN13: 9780670025329
BOOK REVIEW Andrew Roberts, 2014, Napolon: A Life, Viking, USA, 926 pages, ISBN13: 9780670025329
HISTORICAL INCREMENTALISM AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE (MIS) PERCEPTION OF LIBERALISM IN RUSSIA. GUIDANCE FROM IN-COUNTRY EXPERTS
The Ukraine crisis and the events that followed have brought about an unprecedented strain within EU-Russia system of relations, highlighting the major drift between Russia and the Western, liberal world. EU’s deficiency...
BOOK REVIEW Brenda J Lutz and James M Lutz, 2017. Globalization and the Economic Consequences of Terrorism, Palgrave Macmillan, USA, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-137-50394-7
BOOK REVIEW Brenda J Lutz and James M Lutz, 2017. Globalization and the Economic Consequences of Terrorism, Palgrave Macmillan, USA, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-137-50394-7