Purpose:
Presentation of factors and relationships affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of critical infrastructure protection affecting the state of national security. A secondary analysis, illustrating the process of creating critical infrastructure in a contemporary form, has been adopted as an auxiliary goal on the way to achieving the basic goal.

Introduction:
The article presents a historical outline of critical infrastructure protection with a simultaneous commentary on solutions that are present in the current legal status in Poland. Starting from the considerations which led to improving the systems of preventing terrorist attacks and increasing the readiness and responsiveness contained in the Directive of the Council of the European Union, the author presents the path of Polish programs and laws. The set up laws are shown against the background of key events determining discussions and talks on national priorities for the efficient functioning of critical infrastructure (CI). Referring to the protection of critical infrastructure, author indicates the impact of CI on the state of national security and its significance for the existence of the state, and within its framework - an organized society. At the same time, the author presents emerging doubts and ambiguities coming from analysis of the adopted critical infrastructure definition as systems. The author shows the essence of integration of all security institutions involved in ensuring an acceptable level of state security, which in the author’s opinion depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of the security management system ensuring a set strategy for action.

Methodology:
Based on the principles of functional theory and using literature analysis, expert interviews, participant observation, and inference and deduction, directions for improving the functioning of critical infrastructure protection in the aspect of institutional cooperation and the impact of infrastructure on the national security system were indicated.

Conclusions:
There is a need to create clear legislation and the need to integrate security entities in the aspect of institutional cooperation in the protection of critical infrastructure, because in relation to organizations as a special form of team activities, we often encounter chaos compounded by the more unsuccessful solutions, the less known the mechanism of formation of disturbing factors. We experience then only the consequences of their impact, responding to the circumstances.