Dimensions of Interdependence and Investigation of the Critical Infrastructures

Abstract

Critical infrastructures that ensure the functioning of modern societies are increasingly interconnected. This interdependence, although resulting in efficient operation, also create new vulnerabilities. A failure or attack against a single infrastructure can trigger a chain reaction in other systems, causing serious consequences. Despite all this, the scrutiny of interdependence between elements of critical infrastructures continues to be neglected in the literature and in practical analyses. Most research still applies separate approach to individual systems, ignoring the complex network in which these systems actually operate. The aim of this article is to present the nature of these little-studied relationships, the characteristics of interdependence, and to highlight the challenges and opportunities arising from them.