Scholarly record
STRATEGIC RESILIENCE OF CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC: ANALYSIS OF HYBRID THREATS AND DESIGN OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Abstract
This case study addresses the increasing vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure in the Czech Republic to hybrid and physical attacks within the context of current escalating geopolitical tensions in Europe. The objective of the paper is to analyze the long-term trends of these threats and to answer the main research question: What political, organizational, and technological instruments can optimally protect Czech critical energy infrastructure from evolving hybrid and physical threats? The research utilizes quantitative data from the European Repository of Cyber Incidents (EuRepoC) to calculate the Compound Annual Growth Rate of Attacks (CAGRA) between 2005 and 2025, which demonstrates a sustained exponential increase in incidents. These data are subsequently integrated into a qualitative multi-criteria PESTLE framework to identify specific political, economic, social, technological, legislative, and environmental vulnerabilities of the Czech transmission grid. The results prove that traditional reactive measures and static perimeter guarding are ineffective in the current asymmetric environment. As a main solution, the study proposes a more effective use of AI-supported sensors, the promotion of local microgrids (island operations) capable of preventing widespread blackouts, and regular joint exercises of security forces. The contribution of the paper lies in proposing practical measures that connect new technologies with the real-world requirements of Act No. 266/2025 Coll. on critical infrastructure.
Publication details
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