Attack against a vital infrastructure
Critical infrastructure provides services that are essential for society to function smoothly, such as:
- Energy (electricity, natural gas, hydrogen, district heating)
- Transport (air, rail, waterways, roads and public transport)
- Banking and financial markets
- Health care
- Drinking water and wastewater
- Digital infrastructure
- Space
- Food supply
Risks and causes
What can you do?
An attack on this infrastructure can have serious consequences, such as power cuts, disruption of public transport or failures in digital communications. See the specific pages for specific advice before, during and after an attack on this type of infrastructure.
Impact and probability
The figures relating to probability and impact describe an attack on critical infrastructure of extreme magnitude. The BNRA theoretically describes such a scenario as follows:
- An attack is carried out using weapons or by theft, by an external aggressor or an insider with limited access, with the aim of damaging critical infrastructure or spreading fear.
- The attack limits the operation of part of the building or part of the service.
- There are two to three targets.
- It has a major impact on life and health, resulting in serious injury and/or death.
- In addition, two to three other sectors suffer the consequences of the attack, and the failure of critical infrastructure lasts for two weeks.
How should you interpret these results?
Within the BNRA, experts assessed three scenarios for each risk: considerable, major or extreme. On each page, you will find the results of the scenario with the highest score based on the combination of likelihood and impact. This does not mean that this scenario will occur or is the most likely. Read more here about how to correctly interpret the results.
Probability
Moderate
Human impact
Weak
Societal impact
Weak
Environmental impact
Very weak
Financial impact
Weak
What do the authorities do?
The National Crisis Center (NCCN) coordinates the security and protection of critical infrastructure in Belgium.
The NCCN is the Belgian contact point for the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP). Within this framework, the NCCN assumes the following tasks:
- Coordinate the identification and designation of European critical infrastructure.
- Exchange information on potential threats to European critical infrastructure.
- Report to the European Commission.
Depending on the threat assessment, the NCCN may take external protective measures. To this end, the NCCN works together with the police, the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA) and the intelligence services. Any heightened threat is met with appropriate protective measures.