Euralarm has released a new guidance document on Precautionary measures for protecting vital installations and facilities, providing practical direction to strengthen the physical protection and resilience of critical infrastructures across Europe. The purpose of this document is to illustrate in practice the importance and the basic requirements for physical security and safety in the field of critical infrastructure.
In view of the constantly growing threat situation and the interdependencies between the individual sectors, the security of critical infrastructures must not only be understood as a task for individual infrastructure operators. Rather, it is an all-society issue that requires the cooperation of all parties involved – from government agencies to security authorities to private companies and specialised security service providers. Only through this shared responsibility and the continuous adaptation to new threat scenarios can the security and stability of Europe be guaranteed in the long term.
In an increasingly complex and interconnected environment, European societies rely on highly interdependent systems such as energy and water supply, healthcare, transport, and communications. Recent incidents and evolving threat scenarios have underlined how vulnerable these vital installations can be to targeted attacks, natural disasters, and technical failures. Ensuring their continued functionality is therefore essential for social stability, public safety, and economic security.
The guidance builds on the objectives of the European Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities (CER/RCE), which establishes minimum standards for the protection of critical infrastructures. It emphasises the importance of cross-sectoral physical security arrangements that complement existing cyber and IT security measures, creating a holistic and integrated security approach.
