Dr Abdul Rahman Hamdan (rahman@might.org.my)
As we enter an increasingly digitised world, the nation’s interconnection with the global economy is becoming more pronounced. This interconnectivity includes the nation’s critical infrastructure, which serves as the backbone to our country. The energy grids, water supply, telecommunications and transportation networks, to name a few, are not just of national importance but also have global implications. These backbone infrastructures are not only crucial for the security and societal well-being, but also for our economy and our role in the global community.
These important assets are essential for the nation’s functioning and economic development. At the same time, they are becoming more reliant and interconnected to digital systems and infrastructure, making them more vulnerable to external and geopolitical interference and threats than ever before. Any disruption, be it a natural disaster or a man-made incident, will have a catastrophic impact on our nation.
Therefore, this has led to a growing need for technology sovereignty, i.e. the ability of a nation to control and secure its critical technologies and infrastructure from internal and external threats. This article highlights the importance of technology sovereignty in protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure assets and identifies the current challenges and gaps in ensuring this vital initiative in securing our nation.
The significant disruption to our Nation’s critical infrastructure throughout the years
Significant disruption to the nation’s critical infrastructure has happened before, and it is not new to the country. Here are some key events in Malaysia that illustrates how disruptions to the nation’s critical infrastructure have profound implications on her economy and societal wellbeing.
Local Overview
There is currently no official definition of what is considered a national critical infrastructure and asset. However, the general understanding of what can be viewed as a critical asset for the country is “a resource, system, asset or infrastructure whether physical or virtual that is considered critical to the functioning of a nation, and any disruption or interference would have a significant impact on the nation’s economic, social or political stability.” The source of external threats can be from nature, such as floods and earthquakes, or man-made, such as terrorism and acts of sabotage. Below is the current national landscape overview regarding safeguarding the country’s critical infrastructure assets.
Global Overview
The definition of critical assets and what areas of strategic assets are for a nation varies from one country to another. This is because each country has its designated strategic critical assets that depend highly on the complex interlinking of natural resources, economic priorities, technological advancements, cultural values, political strategies, social needs, environmental conditions and international trade dynamics. Each country’s unique priorities and ecosystem determine what strategic assets are critical for its security, prosperity and well-being. The figure below shows some of the areas that are deemed strategic critical assets according to different countries.
Even the definition of a National Critical Infrastructure and Assets differs according to countries and how they govern it. Below are some definitions and the governance structure for protecting their critical infrastructure according to different countries.
Conclusion
Given the negative implications of any disruption to the nation’s critical infrastructure and assets for Malaysia, a new approach based on partnership and engagement between the public and private sectors is highly needed. This collaboration is crucial to identify what is considered national critical infrastructure and assets. To ensure this happens, there is a need to increase the coordination between government and private sectors, as well as between the federal and state governments, regarding the protection of national strategic critical assets through a comprehensive strategic framework, planning and coordination. The national critical infrastructure assets are the backbone of modern societies and the functioning of a governed country. Technology sovereignty offers the solution to securing these vital assets by reducing dependencies on foreign technologies while at the same time fostering domestic innovation and growing our local industries’ competencies and capabilities. Achieving technology sovereignty is not without challenges, but it will ensure the nation reduces its dependence on foreign technologies and asserts more significant control over its critical infrastructure and assets.
