Most days, we go about our routines without thinking about the invisible systems that make it all possible. We turn on the tap and expect clean water. We switch on a light and expect the room to brighten. We pick up a phone, press a button, and expect to hear a voice on the other end. Yet all of these ordinary acts depend on something extraordinary: a vast and complex network known as critical infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines critical infrastructure as “the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, that are so vital…that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety.” But I don’t need to quote definitions to know how true this is — I’ve seen what happens when these systems fail.
A blackout is not just an inconvenience; it can shut down hospital equipment, disable traffic lights, and stop water treatment plants from functioning. A cyberattack on a food distribution network can empty supermarket shelves in a matter of days. When we talk about protecting critical infrastructure, we are not only talking about national security — we are talking about our survival, our health, and our ability to live our daily lives without chaos.
One thing I’ve come to understand from studying disasters and security frameworks is that critical infrastructure is deeply interdependent. For instance, electricity keeps telecommunications running, yet power plants themselves rely on telecommunications to control the grid. Transportation networks can’t move without fuel, and fuel supplies depend on functioning pipelines and refineries — all of which need stable power and cybersecurity.
When one link in this chain breaks, the effects can ripple outward like falling dominoes. That’s why a single point of failure — even a small one — can cause a nationwide disruption. We don’t have to imagine how bad cascading failures can be — we’ve seen them.
Infrastructure protection is often treated as an engineering topic, but it’s much more than that. It’s about public safety — having a working emergency system like 911, functional fire hydrants, and traffic lights that prevent accidents. It’s about health — making sure hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies can function without interruption. It’s about the economy — ensuring supply chains, payment systems, and communications stay up and running. And it’s about quality of life — being able to light your house at night, cool it when its hot, or stream an online class without a glitch.
This is why citizens matter in protecting infrastructure. We can report suspicious activity near key facilities. We can follow conservation requests when systems are under strain. We can prepare ourselves with backups — water storage, generators — to reduce pressure on public systems during a crisis. And we can take part in local resilience programs that connect us with first responders and utility managers.
Today, critical infrastructure faces threats from every direction. Physical attacks — vandalism, copper theft from power lines, sabotage of pipelines or substations. Cyber threats — ransomware targeting industrial control systems, cyber intrusions on water plant software. Natural hazards — hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes disrupting multiple sectors at once.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy reported an alarming increase in physical attacks on electrical substations. Utilities responded with better perimeter security, surveillance systems, and police partnerships. That same year, CISA issued multiple alerts to water utilities about cyber exploits targeting Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems especially th run on legacy platforms — the very systems that control water quality and flow.
Kenya faces its own mix of these threats. Floods in western counties can knock out water systems and roads. Vandalism and theft of power transformers and cables are common. And as our water and energy sectors modernize, they become more vulnerable to cyber intrusions.
You might think infrastructure protection is only for engineers, but we can report unusual activity near power lines, substations, pipelines, or water facilities, as well as keep personal backup systems like stored water, batteries, or generators.
In both the U.S. and Kenya, much of our critical infrastructure is privately owned. That means government–business partnerships are essential. In Kenya, partnerships between telcos, banks, and energy providers already exist for cyber threat sharing — but these could be expanded to cover physical and natural hazard threats as well.
Protecting critical infrastructure is not just the job of engineers, police, or intelligence agencies. It’s a shared responsibility that involves government, private industry, and ordinary citizens. These systems are the invisible backbone of our lives, and their interdependence means that when one fails, many others can follow. By understanding their importance and our role in protecting them, we move from being passive consumers to active stewards of the networks that keep us safe, healthy, and connected.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: safeguarding critical infrastructure is not an abstract concept — it’s the quiet, constant work of protecting the everyday life we all depend on.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines critical infrastructure as “the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, that are so vital…that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety.” But I don’t need to quote definitions to know how true this is — I’ve seen what happens when these systems fail.
A blackout is not just an inconvenience; it can shut down hospital equipment, disable traffic lights, and stop water treatment plants from functioning. A cyberattack on a food distribution network can empty supermarket shelves in a matter of days. When we talk about protecting critical infrastructure, we are not only talking about national security — we are talking about our survival, our health, and our ability to live our daily lives without chaos.
One thing I’ve come to understand from studying disasters and security frameworks is that critical infrastructure is deeply interdependent. For instance, electricity keeps telecommunications running, yet power plants themselves rely on telecommunications to control the grid. Transportation networks can’t move without fuel, and fuel supplies depend on functioning pipelines and refineries — all of which need stable power and cybersecurity.
When one link in this chain breaks, the effects can ripple outward like falling dominoes. That’s why a single point of failure — even a small one — can cause a nationwide disruption. We don’t have to imagine how bad cascading failures can be — we’ve seen them.
Infrastructure protection is often treated as an engineering topic, but it’s much more than that. It’s about public safety — having a working emergency system like 911, functional fire hydrants, and traffic lights that prevent accidents. It’s about health — making sure hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies can function without interruption. It’s about the economy — ensuring supply chains, payment systems, and communications stay up and running. And it’s about quality of life — being able to light your house at night, cool it when its hot, or stream an online class without a glitch.
This is why citizens matter in protecting infrastructure. We can report suspicious activity near key facilities. We can follow conservation requests when systems are under strain. We can prepare ourselves with backups — water storage, generators — to reduce pressure on public systems during a crisis. And we can take part in local resilience programs that connect us with first responders and utility managers.
Today, critical infrastructure faces threats from every direction. Physical attacks — vandalism, copper theft from power lines, sabotage of pipelines or substations. Cyber threats — ransomware targeting industrial control systems, cyber intrusions on water plant software. Natural hazards — hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes disrupting multiple sectors at once.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy reported an alarming increase in physical attacks on electrical substations. Utilities responded with better perimeter security, surveillance systems, and police partnerships. That same year, CISA issued multiple alerts to water utilities about cyber exploits targeting Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems especially th run on legacy platforms — the very systems that control water quality and flow.
Kenya faces its own mix of these threats. Floods in western counties can knock out water systems and roads. Vandalism and theft of power transformers and cables are common. And as our water and energy sectors modernize, they become more vulnerable to cyber intrusions.
You might think infrastructure protection is only for engineers, but we can report unusual activity near power lines, substations, pipelines, or water facilities, as well as keep personal backup systems like stored water, batteries, or generators.
In both the U.S. and Kenya, much of our critical infrastructure is privately owned. That means government–business partnerships are essential. In Kenya, partnerships between telcos, banks, and energy providers already exist for cyber threat sharing — but these could be expanded to cover physical and natural hazard threats as well.
Protecting critical infrastructure is not just the job of engineers, police, or intelligence agencies. It’s a shared responsibility that involves government, private industry, and ordinary citizens. These systems are the invisible backbone of our lives, and their interdependence means that when one fails, many others can follow. By understanding their importance and our role in protecting them, we move from being passive consumers to active stewards of the networks that keep us safe, healthy, and connected.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: safeguarding critical infrastructure is not an abstract concept — it’s the quiet, constant work of protecting the everyday life we all depend on.
