HOMELAND SECURITY: Key Elements of a Risk Management Approach
Abstract
This testimony addresses an approach to manage the risk from terrorism directed at Americans in our homeland. With the initiation of military operations against terrorist targets in Afghanistan, senior government officials indicated the need to be prepared for the potential of another attack on our homeland. A body of work in the area of combating terrorism has been undertaken in which various facets of federal efforts to address this challenge have been evaluated. From this work, three essential elements in an effective risk management approach to prepare better against acts of terrorism have been identified. The three key elements that the federal government as well as state and local governments and private entities should adopt to enhance their timely preparedness against potential threats are: (1) a threat assessment; (2) a vulnerability assessment; and (3) a criticality assessment. Threat assessment are important decision support tools that can assist organizations in security-program planning and key efforts. A threat assessment identifies and evaluates threats based on various factors, including capability and intentions as well as the potential lethality of an attack. A vulnerability assessment is a process that identifies weaknesses that may be exploited by terrorists and suggests options to eliminate or mitigate those weaknesses. A criticality assessment is a process designed to systematically identify and evaluate an organization's assets based on the importance of its mission or function, the group of people at risk, or the significance of a structure. Criticality assessment are important because they provide a basis for prioritizing which assets and structures require higher or special protection from an attack.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 12, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA395078
Entities
People
- Raymond J. Decker
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office