Critical National Infrastructure
Resolution planning, guidance note, published by the Government Commercial Function in May 2021, states in relation to Critical National Infrastructure (CNI):
‘Those critical elements of infrastructure (namely assets, facilities, systems, networks or processes and the essential workers that operate and facilitate them), the loss or compromise of which could result in:
- major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of essential services (including those services whose integrity, if compromised, could result in significant loss of life or casualties) taking into account significant economic or social impacts; and/or
- significant impact on national security, national defence or the functioning of the state.’
Functional Standards Common Glossary, published by the Cabinet Office, defines critical national infrastructure as: ‘Those facilities, systems, sites, information, people, networks and processes, necessary for a country to function and upon which daily life depends.’
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