The Case For A Cyber Safety Engineering Discipline

Experts are questioning who should own cyber-physical safety in connected infrastructure, and say no clear legal or professional responsibility exists yet.

At a National Academy of Sciences summit, speakers argued that cyber-physical risk may require a new engineering discipline and a defined standard of care.

They drew parallels to industrial safety codes that emerged only after major disasters, warning that critical infrastructure lacks similar accountability today.

The debate matters because engineers, insurers, and regulators may be operating without clear guidance until a serious incident forces standards into place.