Normal Cyber-Crises

Abstract

AbstractDespite an increasing scholarly interest in cyber-security issues, the phenomenon of large-scale cyber-crises affecting critical infrastructure is largely unexplored. While some characteristics of its consequence dynamics have been identified—prominently its transboundary features—the underlying conditions that allow such dynamics to unfold have not yet been thoroughly explored. This chapter aims to contribute to bridging this gap by applying the classical theoretical perspectives of Normal Accidents (NA) and High Reliability organisations (HRO) on the sociotechnical systems of modern critical infrastructure. It argues that NA characteristics (the combination of interactive complexity and tight coupling) can be found in multiple layers of critical infrastructure operations (technical, cognitive, organisational and macro). Implications are discussed in terms of its connection to transboundary crisis dynamics.