Mr. Sanchez is the Director of the National Centre for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures and the Secretary of State for Security, Ministry of Interior, Spain. His Academic Background includes: Spanish Guardia Civil Senior Officer and High Staff Studies Degree. Field of expertise upon Critical Infrastructures Protection issues, developed in the last few years on different appointments, both in police forces (Guardia Civil) and Ministry of Interior.

Other official degrees applicable are: Intelligence Diploma, conducted by GC specialization school, Juditiary Police Diploma, conducted by GC specialization school and Criminal Investigation Diploma, conducted by Madrid Complutense University.

VULNERABLE TARGET PROTECTION. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

 
The onslaught of international terrorism after the 9/11 and the massive and indiscriminate nature of its actions have radically changed the security scenario. A new prospect has sprouted in which certain assets that provide essential services have become pillars of our society, due to the impact that a potential destruction or disruption of them might have on the life, health or welfare of citizens or the states themselves. This fact underlines the key importance that critical infrastructure protection has in our society today.
However, for the Spanish National Centre for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure (CNPIC) the primary concept is not the infrastructure itself, but the service supplied. Thus, infrastructures may be considered as critical as they provide essential services.
Moreover, most of our infrastructures, in western countries at least, are owned or operated by private hands, and this reinforces the need for cooperation and a comprehensive approach to critical infrastructure protection issues. Therefore, cooperation of every actor involved, either in the regulation, planning or operation of the different infrastructures that provide essential public services to the country is mandatory, in order to achieve a public-private partnership beneficial to everyone.
It’s necessary to share information among all stakeholders, business, intelligence services and law enforcement agencies. A regulation to undertake the management of critical infrastructure protection, by defining and developing a system able to bring together all relevant actors upon a basis of mutual trust, it’s also required.
Never before has the proper functioning of essential services been so closely linked to communications and computer control systems. Cyber threat is not only exploiting a new type of crime, but is a real threat, which may cause catastrophic damages to our civil society. To cope with this fact, and in order to put in place appropriate measures to lessen these risks, an effort of awareness and consciousness is required from both rulers and citizens.