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November is the “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month” in the U.S., as designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is an appropriate time to reflect on the importance of Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), as well as the legislative and administrative efforts being undertaken in the U.S., E.U. and China to establish robust CIP frameworks and enforcement policies. There is a broad-scale recognition among policy makers across the globe that collaborative efforts between public and private sectors are required to develop and enforce effective CIP measures, especially as the rapid pace of technological innovation and adoption drives digital transformation and, at the same time, increases cyber threats.

To better understand global policy approaches toward CIP, this paper will review the efforts of the U.S., E.U., and China to address critical infrastructure protection in their domains. The paper will then offer a set of proposed principles and global best practices that may aid policy makers and industry stakeholders as they consider how best to move forward in addressing CIP-related opportunities and challenges.

This policy brief outlines the following approaches, including core definitions:

The U.S. Approach to CIP and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework
The European Union’s Approach and the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive
China’s Approach: Draft Critical Information Infrastructure Regulation and Standards