CLAIR links Purdue and Zachman and maps power to data cascades

The CLAIR Model is presented as a new conceptual framework that links Purdue’s enterprise architecture with the Zachman framework to map critical infrastructure interdependencies, extending the traditional five-level Purdue hierarchy to a ten-level stack. It introduces Level -1 as the Primary Infrastructure, encompassing external electricity generation and transmission, and notes Level 6 and Level 7 as the Connected World and Safety/High-Trust layers, respectively.

The model emphasises that failures in the power grid can cascade through data centres and manufacturing, with a case cited of a Northern Virginia event that allegedly triggered the disconnection of 60 data centres and a 1,500-megawatt power situation. It also advocates tools like Sankey Flow Maps to visualise inbound and outbound dependencies and discusses AI-OT convergence risks, including data quality dependencies, model drift, and an explainability gap.

The article frames policy as a driver, citing NSM-22 as part of the institutional rationale, and cites CISA and other sources to ground the framework in real-world resilience contexts, according to The Open Group and CISA among others.