Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy, and Implementation

Abstract

The nation's health, wealth, and security rely on the production and distribution of certain goods and services. The array of physical assets, functions, and systems across which these goods and services move are called critical infrastructures (e.g., electricity, the power plants that generate it, and the electric grid upon which it is distributed). The national security community has been concerned for sometime about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to both physical and cyber attack. In May 1998, President Clinton released Presidential Decision Directive No. 63. The Directive set up groups within the federal government to develop and implement plans that would protect government-operated infrastructures and called for a dialogue between government and the private sector to develop a National Infrastructure Assurance Plan that would protect all of the nation's critical infrastructures by the year 2003. The Bush Administration released Executive Order 13228, signed October 8, 2001, establishing the Office of Homeland Security. Among its duties, the Office shall coordinate efforts to protect the United States and its critical infrastructure from the consequences of terrorist attacks. In December 2003, the Bush Administration released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, reiterating and expanding upon infrastructure protection policy and responsibilities. In June 2006, the Bush Administration released its National Infrastructure Protection Plan. This report discusses in more detail the evolution of a national critical infrastructure policy and the institutional structures established to implement it. The report highlights five issues of Congressional concern: identifying critical assets; assessing vulnerabilities; allocating resources; information sharing; and, regulation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 08, 2007
Accession Number
ADA464675

Entities

People

  • John D. Moteff

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Commerce
  • Communication Systems
  • Counterterrorism
  • Cybersecurity
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Emergency Response
  • Environmental Protection
  • Health Services
  • Homeland Security
  • Information Exchange
  • Information Security
  • Information Systems
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Risk Analysis
  • Urban Areas

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Cyber