This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP), a key area in ensuring the safety, functionality, and resilience of essential societal systems. It explores what critical infrastructure is, why it matters, and how various sectors such as energy, water, transport, digital networks, healthcare, and finance are identified and protected across different national contexts. Through a detailed academic perspective, the presentation examines the main threats these systems face, including natural hazards and disasters, terrorism, cyberattacks, and system failures. It also addresses the growing interdependence of infrastructure sectors, the importance of public-private cooperation, and the role of international and national policy frameworks, including the EU Directive 2022/2557 and the U.S. Presidential Policy Directive 21. The content is intended for students, researchers, policymakers, and professionals in the fields of disaster risk management, emergency preparedness, and security studies. The presentation is delivered by Prof. Dr. Vladimir M. Cvetković, a leading expert in disaster risk and resilience, affiliated with the Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, and Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria.