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). Following the events of September 11, 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 November 2002, Congress passed legislation creating a Department of Homeland Security. Among its responsibilities is overall coordination of critical infrastructure protection activities. 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 Plan presents the process by which the Department of Homeland Security intends to identify those specific assets most critical to the United States, across all sectors, based on the risk associated with their loss to attack or natural disaster, and then to prioritize activities aimed at maximizing the reduction of those risks for a given investment. 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 and risks; allocating resources; information sharing; and, regulation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 15, 2008
Accession Number
ADA478441

Entities

People

  • John D. Moteff

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Area Security
  • 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

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.