According to Alcara z and Z eadally (2015), critical infrastructure consists of assets and systems (virtual or physical) that determine economic well-being, national security, and public health safety. According to CISA (2019), the destruction of these assets and systems has debilitating effects on the nation as it may paraly z e security, public health, or the nation's economy. Critical infrastructure is subject to both natural and human-made threats and ha zards . Therefore, protecting essential infrastructure should be a priority for governments and all stakeholders . It is important to ensure its security and resilience.
According to Alcara z and Zeadally (2015), sixteen sectors make up the critical infrastructure. Among them is the information technology sector. According to CISA (2019), the department of homeland security is in charge of the information technology sector. According to Nikiloski (2014), information technology (IT) is the system that is used to automate and support business decision-making and overall tasks. These systems include software, hardware, networks, and computers. With IT, routine tasks, schedules, and logistics are automated, enabling organizations to function efficiently and profitably. It allows the storage, transmission, retrieval, and manipulation of information and data. The evolution and innovation of IT have increased productivity. New services and products have been introduced on the market, benefiting the entire world. Most sectors, businesses, organizations, and agencies use IT to run their activities.
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These new possibilities have also given rise to further problems. For a long time now, IT security has been a major problem worldwide when it comes to securing the information systems, the transmission and storage of information, and the processes involved. Let us take an example of the banking system. For over fifty years now, banks have been carrying out major transactions in electronic form. This has provided an opportunity for criminals to execute plans to compromise these systems' functioning for personal gain. We have experienced a breach of accounting information security and witnessed many electronic financial manipulations. According to Sadowsky et al. (2003), research and development initiatives have been launched to provide more robust security measures. However, millions of people worldwide have access to computers, and with the internet enabling computer-to-computer communications, trouble spots have become more rampant. Previously, computers were used by specialists, unlike today, where most of the users are not concerned with the technical details of the networks and the computers (Sadowsky et al., 2003). This has posed a great risk in the security and resilience of IT.
IT has become a significant and vital concept in society. It has many advantages, not only to individuals and businesses. Government units rely on it for services such as accounting. According to CISA (2019), security involves reducing risk, be it human-made or natural, such as attacks or intrusions, to critical infrastructure. Security is achieved by the application of defensive cyber measures or other physical means. The success of a business depends on its environment. At this point, technology envelopes the environment of any business. According to Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010), any business model's building blocks include a value proposition, customer relationships, and channels, all of which highly depend on technology.
In conclusion, critical infrastructure is the foundation of our daily functions. The IT sector plays a big role in the efficiency of our businesses and activities. Its protection is vital. My idea for the project is to develop proper ways and measures of ensuring the IT sector's safety to reduce the risks.
References
Alcaraz, C., & Zeadally, S. (2015). Critical infrastructure protection: Requirements and challenges for the 21st century. International journal of critical infrastructure protection , 8 , 53-66.
CISA (2019) A Guide to Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Retrieved on 16 th March from www.cisa.gov
Nikoloski, K. (2014). The role of information technology in the business sector. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) , 3 (12).
Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers . John Wiley & Sons.
Sadowsky, G., Dempsey, J. X., Greenberg, A., Mack, B. J., & Schwartz, A. (2003). Information technology security handbook . Washington, DC: World Bank.
