In our modern information societies, we not only use and welcome computers; we are highly dependent upon them. There is a downside of this kind of progress, however. Computers are not 100% reliable. They are insecure. They are vulnerable to attackers. They can either be attacked directly, to disrupt their services, or they can be abused in clever ways to do the bidding of an attacker as a dysfunctional user. Decision-makers and experts alike always struggle with the amount of interdisciplinary knowledge needed to understand the nuts and bolts of modern information societies and their relation to security, the implications of technological or political progress or the lack thereof. This holds in particular for new challenges to come. These are harder to understand and to categorize; their development is difficult to predict. To mitigate this problem and to enable more foresight, The Secure Information Society provides an interdisciplinary spotlight onto some new and unfolding aspects of the uneasy relationship between information technology and information society, to aid the dialogue not only in its current and ongoing struggle, but to anticipate the future in time and prepare perspectives for the challenges ahead.

This SpringerBrief explores features of digital protocol wireless communications systems, and features of the emerging electrical smart grid. Both low power and high power wireless systems are described. The work also examines the cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats and current levels of risks to critical infrastructures that rely on digital wireless technologies. Specific topics include areas of application for high criticality wireless networks (HCWN), modeling risks and vulnerabilities, governance and management frameworks, systemic mitigation, reliable operation, assessing effectiveness and efficiency, resilience testing, and accountability of HCWN. Designed for researchers and professionals, this SpringerBrief provides essential information for avoiding malevolent uses of wireless networks. The content is also valuable for advanced-level students interested in security studies or wireless networks.

In our modern information societies, we not only use and welcome computers; we are highly dependent upon them. There is a downside of this kind of progress, however. Computers are not 100% reliable. They are insecure. They are vulnerable to attackers. They can either be attacked directly, to disrupt their services, or they can be abused in clever ways to do the bidding of an attacker as a dysfunctional user. Decision-makers and experts alike always struggle with the amount of interdisciplinary knowledge needed to understand the nuts and bolts of modern information societies and their relation to security, the implications of technological or political progress or the lack thereof. This holds in particular for new challenges to come. These are harder to understand and to categorize; their development is difficult to predict. To mitigate this problem and to enable more foresight, The Secure Information Society provides an interdisciplinary spotlight onto some new and unfolding aspects of the uneasy relationship between information technology and information society, to aid the dialogue not only in its current and ongoing struggle, but to anticipate the future in time and prepare perspectives for the challenges ahead.