Social and Legal Studios

The authors carried out a scientific analysis of normative legal acts that govern issues of the protection of critical infrastructure in such foreign countries as the United States, Great Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of France, the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Slovakia in the provisions of scientific article. The authors made conclusions that were based on the results of the carried out analysis, first, that the term “critical infrastructure” had been introduced into the normative legislative acts of many states, where its understanding is somewhat different, however, such differences are not significant. The common thread is that the term “critical infrastructure” usually covers those facilities, systems, networks or their parts, the disruption of the functioning or destruction of which will lead to the most serious consequences for the social and economic sphere of the state, will negatively affect the level of its defense capabilities and national safety. Second, the functioning of critical infrastructure is associated in peacetime with the support of vital functions in society, the protection of the basic needs of its members and the formation of their inner sense of safety and protection. Third, the approaches to the understanding of the general essence of the infrastructure, which is based on the functions that are performed by it, or the composition of economic entities that perform the specified functions, are seemed to be logical. The lists of sectors that belong to critical infrastructure in different countries are mostly similar, because the development of modern society is happened almost by uniform, although not fully convergent laws, rules, schemes. The available differences that are due primarily to national specifics, geopolitical conditions, traditions and features of the safe policy of a given country or international structure. Fourth, world experience points to that the most critical facilities are those that can be attributed to the sphere of provision of electricity and foodstuffs. Society is inclined today to believe that developed European and North American countries are not able to do without electric power in the long term. Civilization has progressed so much that people have lost the ability to live without an electric power and are not ready for it from the technical side