Page 194 - Cyber Terrorism and Extremism as Threat to Critical Infrastructure Protection

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

Cyberterrorism Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Coordi-
nation and Cooperation from Brussels to South-Eastern
Europe and back
Robert Mikac, Krešimir Mamić, Iva Žutić

This paper analyzes the response towards cyberterrorism threats to critical infrastructure. To
this goal, the paper examines a strategic and normative framework for the protection of criti-
cal infrastructure at the European Union level and in the Republic of Croatia, as a representa-
tive country of South-Eastern Europe, as well as their operational level of implementation of
critical infrastructure protection. As some cyber threats are indistinguishable from each other,
the paper gives an overview of cyber threats to critical infrastructure, and explores the threat
of cyberterrorism to critical infrastructure in the EU and the Republic of Croatia. The paper
focuses on inspecting public policies and measures taken by the EU and the Republic of Croa-
tia to protect critical infrastructure from cyberterrorism at both levels (EU and Croatia), and
their implementation. The paper analyzes how much these public policies are operationalized
in practice, providing recommendations with regard to stronger cooperation and coordination
in the region.

A Critical Infrastructure Protection Perspective on Coun-
ter-Terrorism in South-Eastern Europe

Alexandru Georgescu, Adrian Victor Vevera, Carmen
Elena Cîrnu

This article argues that counter-terrorism policy makers in South-Eastern Europe and espe-
cially the Western Balkans, should pursue a Critical Infrastructure Protection perspective as
being useful in a number of ways. It provides a way to map societal weak points that could
be exploited, a ready-made toolbox to address vulnerabilities, mechanisms for international
cooperation, and best practices to be transferred and assimilated. It is also an inherently use-
ful roadmap for the allocation of scarce security resources to increase resilience to terrorist
activities. At the same time, the EU Member States in South-Eastern Europe already feature
National Critical Infrastructure Protection Programmes and inclusion in the European Pro-
gramme, which could prove to be a useful starting point to work with the non-EU countries
in the region, including through the transfer of experience and best practice. This article also
presents a series of proposals which may improve the security situation in the Western Bal-
kans with regard to vulnerability to terrorist activity and intent.

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