This brief provides a short overview of catastrophic risk and its implications for critical infrastructure risk management in Australia. It provides a recommendation for the Critical Infrastructure Security Centre’s (CISC) 2025 Critical Infrastructure Annual Risk Review (CIARR).
Summary
Over the next decade, catastrophic risk – the risk of events or incidents that would significantly harm Australia’s security, economy or society – will increase from a range of sources. Critical infrastructure owners and operators will play an increasingly important role maintaining essential services during shocks and crises. The CIARR is a key tool for critical infrastructure owners and operators to understand the risk landscape, so it is an opportunity for the CISC to inform them of the potentially catastrophic consequences of many threats and hazards facing Australia. We recommend that the “Looking Ahead” section of the 2025 CIARR include a short description of catastrophic risk to ensure critical infrastructure owners and operators are made aware of the full spectrum of risk they need to consider when securing their assets.
