Enhancing critical infrastructure resilience through information-sharing: recommendations for European critical infrastructure operators

Reilly, P. , Serafinelli, E., Stevenson, R., Petersen, L. and Fallou, L. (2018) Enhancing critical infrastructure resilience through information-sharing: recommendations for European critical infrastructure operators. In: Chowdhury, G., McLeod, J., Gillet, V. and Willett, P. (eds.) Transforming Digital Worlds: 13th International Conference, iConference 2018, Sheffield, UK, March 25-28, 2018, Proceedings. Series: Lecture notes in computer science (10766). Springer: Cham, pp. 120-125. ISBN 9783319781044 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-78105-1_15)

Abstract

This paper explores how critical infrastructure (CI) resilience can be improved through effective crisis communication between CI operators and members of the public. Drawing on academic and practice-based research into crisis and risk communication, as well as the results of 31 interviews conducted with key stakeholders from across Europe, the AESOP guidelines are proposed for enhancing the communication and information-sharing strategies of CI operators. These emphasise the importance of integrating both traditional and digital media into a multi-channel communication strategy that facilitates dialogue between CI operators and key stakeholders including emergency management organisations and representatives of local communities. The information-seeking behaviours of citizens should be evaluated by these organisations in order to ensure that this messaging reaches key demographics in disaster-vulnerable areas. This paper concludes by examining how post-disaster learning should be incorporated into a flexible framework for crisis and risk communication that manages public expectations about the time needed to restore services in the aftermath of large-scale incidents.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Reilly, Dr Paul
• Authors: Reilly, P., Serafinelli, E., Stevenson, R., Petersen, L., and Fallou, L.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Publisher: Springer
• ISBN: 9783319781044
• Published Online: 15 March 2018