How do we address the future of Critical National Infrastructure cybersecurity? The Interlinked Project explores the forecasts of 22 experts in future CNI security. It identifies future trends in CNI software; the resulting changes in cybersecurity risks; and what we might do to address them.
Final Report
Read our final report at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13898513
The Project
This project focused on new advances in interconnected computing technology, to identify issues related to UK Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), from 2023 to 2040. It included a Delphi Study and a Workshop.
The project built on previous work with futurists forecasting the future implications of ubiquitous connectivity, artificial intelligence, mixed reality, low and no-code solutions, and digital ownership, where these challenge UK wellbeing and values. The timeframe considered was the next 15 years—specifically to 2040. In particular we worked to identify specific ways in which the forecast changes may affect different aspects of the 13 CNI sectors and related national interests.
The research focussed on possible issues—technical, sociotechnical, and societal—and explored both possible Impacts and Likelihood for those issues.
The process used the Delphi study methodology, and included:
- Interviews with a range of experts, including government and policymakers, CNI security experts, and academics in the field of CNI security; and
- Surveys, of academic literature, and of wider ‘grey literature’ sources—such as strategic policy reports, technical visions, and other publications by experts.
See our paper on Safety, Truth, Ownership, and Accountability for earlier forecasting work from the project team. See our Round 1 Report for our initial forecasts for review by the experts in the second round.
