AI Safety and Functional Safety in Critical Infrastructure: An Integrated Framework Combining IEC 61508 with 5G and LoRa Communication Networks for Civil Protection
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The increasing digitalization of critical infrastructure (CI) creates hybrid threats where cyberattacks cause physical disasters. Traditional civil protection (CP) and IT security operate in isolation, lacking integrated protocols. This paper proposes a conceptual framework combining AI-enabled cybersecurity, functional safety standards, and hybrid communication technologies to increase CI resilience. The framework integrates IEC 61508 functional safety requirements extended to AI-based systems through an "AI safety wrapper" based on SIL3/4 experience, with a hybrid 5G-LoRa communication architecture. 5G provides low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity for critical operations, while LoRa enables resilient, low-power sensor networks during infrastructure failure. AI-based dynamic resilience metrics (Dynamic Resilience Index) predict absorption, recovery, and coordination capacity in real time. Formalized cyber-physical "playbooks" link technical cybersecurity alerts with CP response procedures. Expected results include 20-30% faster detection and response times, 99.9% availability across hybrid networks, and predictive resilience analysis.
Institutions: Obuda University, Technical University of Košice
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204201948