Definition: critical infrastructure

The basic systems necessary for survival of an organization or nation. The U.S. Government states that the country's critical infrastructure is the "infrastructure and assets vital to national security, governance, public health and safety, economy and public confidence." According to the Department of Homeland Security, the following subjects make up the critical infrastructure:

Agriculture and Food
Water
Public Health
Emergency Services
Defense Industrial Base
Telecommunications
Energy
Transportation
Banking and Finance
Chemicals and Hazardous Materials
Postal and Shipping