Who we work with

CPNI works with a variety of partners to reduce the vulnerability of the national infrastructure, focusing in particular on critical national infrastructure (CNI). Key partners include government departments with responsibility for infrastructure sectors; businesses and organisations within those sectors that own or operate critical infrastructure; and other security specialists and advice delivery partners including the Police. Effective tripartite relationships between security specialists, government departments and businesses within the national infrastructure are vital to achieving our overarching goal of vulnerability reduction.

Government departments

Government departments have lead responsibility for ensuring appropriate steps are taken within their sectors to improve protective security. They also lead on the identification of critical infrastructure within their sectors in consultation with CPNI and sector organisations.

The following departments have lead responsibility for the sectors indicated below.

Communications

• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)

Emergency services

• Department of Health (DH)
  (ambulance)
• Communities and Local Government (CLG)
  (fire and rescue)
• Department for Transport (DfT)
  (maritime / Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
• Home Office
  (police)

Energy

• Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)

Finance

• HM Treasury (HMT)

Food

• Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Food Standards Agency (FSA)

Government

• Cabinet Office (CO)

Health

• Department of Health (DH)

Transport

• Department for Transport (DfT)

Water

• Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

CNI businesses and organisations

CPNI has a close relationship with organisations and businesses that own or operate critical national infrastructure. It has been built up over many years between our highly experienced security advisers and security managers in the sectors. Our advice is given in a variety of different ways - through face-to-face advice by teams of sector based and specialist advisers, training, online advice and written advisory products.

Information sharing is key to successful security planning in many of these sectors. Where appropriate we share information about threats, vulnerabilities and effective mitigation measures, so that CNI businesses and organisations can better protect their assets.

Police

CPNI works closely with the police. We have a particularly strong partnership with the police National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), co-located with CPNI, and the nationwide network of specialist police Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) that they co-ordinate. NaCTSO and the CTSAs support CPNI in the delivery of advice to critical sites within the national infrastructure.  For more information about the work of NaCTSO, go to NaCTSO website.

International partners

We have a close relationship with many international partners, including overseas Governments, agencies and businesses. International co-operation together with collaborative research projects ensure that the global threat of terrorism is met where possible with an internationally informed response.