|
Sample Network
|
Relative Maturitya (High, Medium, Low)
|
Network Structureb
|
Technology Intensityc (High, Medium, Low)
|
Network Scoped
|
Representative Societal Impacts/Benefits
|
Societal Impact of Catastrophic Failuree (High, Low)
|
Catastrophic Failure Description
|
|
Number of Nodes
|
Topology Complexity
|
Scaling
|
|
U.S. electric power distribution grid
|
High
|
High
|
Low
|
N
|
Medium
|
National
|
Electric lighting, appliances, and electronics
|
High
|
Continent-spanning blackout
|
|
Air transportation network
|
High
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
N**2
|
High
|
Regional/ national/ global
|
Rapid global transport of people and cargo
|
Low
|
Major weather-related delays
|
|
Integrated circuits (chip level)
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
N**2
|
High
|
Local
|
Ubiquitous computing and other electronic devices
|
Low
|
Device failure or recall
|
|
Cellular network and public switched telephone network
|
High
|
High
|
Low
|
N
|
High
|
National/ global
|
Instantaneous mobile worldwide communications
|
High
|
Surge-caused outage during a crisis
|
|
Sexual networks (e.g., those leading to or spreading HIV or sexual diseases)
|
N/A
|
Low
|
Low
|
N
|
N/A
|
Mostly local, but with modern transportation can be regional, national, or global
|
Large segments of population afflicted with AIDS in underdeveloped world
|
High
|
Onset of global pandemic
|
|
Internet data-link layer (router) topology
|
High
|
Medium
|
High
|
N**2
|
High
|
Global
|
Enabler of Web and electronic commerce
|
Low
|
Major denial-of-service attacks
|
|
Applications layer Internet topology
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
2**N
|
High
|
Global
|
Support for group-forming networks
|
Low
|
Computer viruses, spyware, and identification theft
|
|
Bank of America financial and banking network
|
Medium
|
Medium
|
Low
|
N**2
|
High
|
National/ global
|
Cashless retailing and electronic currency exchanges
|
High
|
Global disruption of electronic financial transactions
|
|
Wal-Mart-like business supply chain
|
Low
|
Low
|
Medium
|
2**N
|
Medium
|
National/ global
|
Just-in-time supply and inventory control
|
Low
|
Stock items not in stores
|
|
Small (50,000 or less) town governments
|
High
|
Low
|
Medium
|
2**N
|
Medium
|
Local
|
Roads, water, sewage, zoning, police
|
Low (as individual governments)
|
Loss of local order, e.g., looting
|
|
aThe network’s position on a scale starting from first generation (at emergence, a low state) and ending with a high state of maturity, by which time the network has gone through multiple subsequent iterations.
bNetwork structure is characterized by number of nodes, topology complexity, and scaling. The number of nodes ranges between low (<1,000), medium (1,000 to 10,000,000), and high (>10,000,000). Topology complexity describes the diversity of interconnections from varied and complex to simple and uniform. Scaling means economic or social value of that network as a function of N (the number of nodes). A linear value of N means that service is aimed at individual users. N**2 is the value that results from person-to-person transactions, and 2**N, the value that results from the establishment of group affiliations (Rheingold, 2002, p. 58).
cNetwork topology that is enabled by or highly dependent on modern computer-to-computer communications technologies. The high, medium, and low ranges are determined by the approximate number of computers in the network—for example, high range indicates >106 computers in the network, medium is 106 to 103, and low is <103.
dGeographical scope of the network: global, national, regional, or local.
ePotential consequences for society at large of a failure that is extremely destructive yet highly improbable. High range means >$100 million and low means <$100 million.
|
