The United Kingdom will be attacked by terrorists again. And, unfortunately, the threat facing us is unlikely to recede in the near future. Key targets include the country’s energy installations as terror groups seek to destabilise the economy. What’s required is a coherent national security and resilience strategy to secure every aspect of our economy.

However, this is far from straightforward. Currently, individual experts are responsible for devising the most appropriate strategy for each asset. Yet to succeed all these strategies need to be compatible. The issue is made more complex by the volume and variety of business entities – public, private and a mixture of both – that make up the national infrastructure.

The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), launched in February, is an excellent first step towards creating the unified approach that’s required. But, I’m concerned that current approaches focus on the system ‘as is’, rather than tackling the big issues, which include the structure and ownership of the UK’s critical assets, services and systems. In my view this strategic gap constitutes a significant national vulnerability and must be addressed.

It is my pleasure to guest edit the second issue of Ethos, which focuses on the security challenge, including a look at how communities are tackling the problem of extremism and the role of technology in the fight against terrorism.

Elsewhere within this issue, Dr Irwin Stelzer reports on the presidential campaigns and key policy differences unfolding in United States and Hugh Pearman considers the importance of design in creating buildings that meet the needs of users and have the ability to adapt to meet future needs. I hope you find this issue of Ethos an interesting read.

Dr Sandra Bell | Guest Editor