1st IFIP Intl. Conference on Critical Information Infrastructure Protection in conjunction with WCC 2010
At the 50th anniversary of the formation of the International Federation for Information Processing the simple fact that national economies and international commerce alike have become totally dependent upon the reliable and secure operation of national and global information infrastructures has been accepted. From the early days of 1960, with a perceived competitive advantage through computer usage, to today’s acknowledgement of total dependence upon computer systems and integrated data networks on a global scale, the realization that the emerging digital economy in nation states as well as national security and societal well-being depend upon necessary critical information infrastructures has been accepted by governments and all enterprises worldwide. In particular the theme of CIP 2010 acknowledges that all basic or national critical infrastructures themselves, from electrical power systems to telecommunications structures to water/sewerage systems and so on, whether owned and operated by the public or private sector, depend fundamentally upon a national and critical information infrastructure. On a global scale the evidence is clear that nations as well as international enterprises of all natures in a global economy have moved to address this reality through relevant draft legislation, regulations, industry codes and the like. At the same time there is recognition at the United Nations level that the rapid and almost unchecked rise of cybercrime is a reality. At the same time there is also recognition that imperatives for national defence have moved into cyberspace as well. Even topics related to the position of information assurance at national levels; the political, ethical and legal position related to the use of "information operations" and appropriate responses to detected "cyber-attack"; the problems of "hardening" national information infrastructures through public sector leadership and like themes are now topics discussed in the open media globally. The topic of CIIP, NIIP, NCI, or whatever term is used to describe this change, of necessity brings together the skills of computers scientists and mathematicians, engineers, information technologists and others to combine with the vital efforts of legal professionals, public and defence policy researchers, social scientists and psychologists, political scientists and related disciplines to address a common goal to provide effective and acceptable solutions to the growing threats.
CIIP 2010 is an opportunity to address current thinking and research in these vital global concerns from an international perspective. The conference presents a unique opportunity, at a time when nationally, regionally and internationally associated policies and legal regimes are under development, to both ponder those activities as well as to provide research leadership at both technical and policy levels.
