Research in focus

Critical infrastructures (CRITIS), such as energy, water and medical care, are vital for society. The failure of any one of these quickly has drastic consequences for every citizen. However, the change in these areas in the course of the ongoing process of digitalization not only offers great opportunities for securing Germany as an attractive place to do business and making it ready for the future, but it also poses considerable risks. A wide variety of systems and structures are increasingly interconnected and thus more susceptible to disruption. As society becomes more dependent on functioning IT, so does associated risk and vulnerability. Creating security for CRITIS is therefore a core task of the public sector in research, industry and education and is a research priority of the Fraunhofer FKIE.