Vulnerability analysis in critical infrastructures: A methodology

• Authors: António Ferreira
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Vulnerability assessment is a crucial aspect for the development of methodologies to define the levels of protection in critical infrastructures.

Throughout this research, we discussed the concept of vulnerability and methodologies and processes for its assessment in critical infrastructures due to a terrorist threat. The research focused on the development of an analysis model, exploring a multi-criteria decision method, in order to limit the risks to the maximum extent possible.

Through a qualitative research methodology, in which we applied an analysis model based on the Threat and Infrastructure dimensions and their respective factors, we verified that the vulnerability of a critical infrastructure consists in the probability of the success of an attack, conducted by a threat - properly identifi ed, characterised, analysed and categorised - against an infrastructure with certain characteristics, which value is defi ned by the user and aggressor’s point of view.

The construction of an algorithmic model for vulnerability assessment, complemented by tools to support the calculations and records, allows, through a rational, scientific and algebraic process, a qualitative analysis of factors to be transformed into measurable and quantifi able values, whose algebraic operation integrates them into a final result that expresses, as a percentage, the degree of vulnerability of a critical infrastructure facing a terrorist threat.

Keywords

EN

vulnerability; critical infrastructure; terrorist threat; assessment model; Macbeth

• Publisher: Akademia Sztuki Wojennej
• Journal: Security and Defence Quarterly
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 65-86

Dates

published

2019-06-28

Contributors

author

António Ferreira

• Member of Research & Development Centre of Portuguese Military University Portuguese Military University Institute

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Identifiers

DOI

10.35467/sdq/108665