Page 164 - Cyber Terrorism and Extremism as Threat to Critical Infrastructure Protection

SECTION II: CYBER TERRORISM AND SECURITY IMPLICATION FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION

lations governing European Critical Infrastructure. The ECI in the Republic of Slovenia is
regulated by the Regulation on European Critical Infrastructure (2011) which transposes into
the acquis of the Republic of Slovenia in the Directive on the Identification and Designation
of European Critical Infrastructures and Assessment of the Need to Improve their Protection.

The European Union has identified ports as critical infrastructure; the term “port” means any
designated land and sea area with boundaries defined by the Member State in which the port
is located, and equipment and infrastructure to facilitate commercial maritime transport (Di-
rective 2005/65/ES3).

In fact, ports are today the key intermodal hubs in both the freight and passenger transport
networks of the European Union (EU). In addition to being important border checkpoints,
they also play an important role in international trade. Maritime goods flows are constantly
expanding, and maritime transport confirms its crucial role in the functioning of our society
and our economy (SECNET, 2019).

The security of ports and the efficiency of their operations is therefore crucial not only for
maritime transport, but also for their strategic role in terms of security at the regional, national
and European levels. Port security is thus an opportunity to automate and simplify procedures
and activities in ports (Andritsos, 2013), and can also benefit from information and commu-
nication technology (ICT).

In the context of physical and cyber security, new challenges, threats and strategies to over-
come them have led to ports’ automation and digital transformation, the optimization of ex-
isting processes, the monitoring of real-time operations, the interconnection of information
technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), and the deployment of new technological
capabilities (e.g. cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), etc.).

2 Port Infrastructure

Port infrastructure and services are quite diverse across EU Member States. Over time, ports
have adapted their infrastructure and services to local geographical features and activities re-
lated to their location (fishing pools, tourism, etc.) and the various challenges they have had to
face. Port infrastructure ensures that vessels can be safely anchored and moored, allows vessels
to pass between water areas at different levels (e.g. barriers), or provides facilities for the con-
struction and repair of vessels (e.g. dry docks). It consists of marine (waveguides, excavation,
barriers, river basins, coast, piers, moorings, etc.) and land infrastructure (inland roads, railways,
promenades, etc.), administration buildings, and terminals. The management of port facilities is
usually entrusted to private terminal operators who are in charge of managing and maintaining
the upgrades (such as transhipment machinery, silos, special fences, control devices, passenger
terminals) to carry out individual operations or activities related to the transhipment of maritime
goods (shipping containers, general cargo, bulk cargo, petroleum products, etc.), passengers or
motor vehicles (Ro-Ro and passenger ships), and fisheries (transhipment, inspection, etc.).

The fact is, however, that new technologies are, in principle, changing all maritime activities
from navigation to freight transport management, e.g. customs clearance, setting deadlines,
delivery, storage in warehouses, storage on board ship, and the management of all communi-

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