Class 643 Discussion 2

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Class 643 Discussion 2

Defining the terms Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources from a policy perspective is important because the security and resilience of the two are principal priority areas, especially in the aspects preparedness, public awareness, training, and implementing activities and requisites (DHS, 2013). Defining these two terms from a regulatory perspective is important as key resources and critical infrastructure networks, systems and assets reside in specific jurisdictions, compliance and authority mandates, and regulatory standards that should be observed (DHS, 2008; Knapp & Langill, 2014). Defining the two from a management perspective is important because protecting them requires the integration of management functions such as coordination, planning, and risk management.

Adopting a unified public, private, and cross-agency approach to managing and protecting critical infrastructure as advocated by PPD21 and the NIPP is important due to strategic collaboration. Specifically, the joint efforts of partners in the private and public sectors and agencies help in attaining collaborative, flexible, inclusive, and proactive coordination, action, and information sharing essential in advancing critical infrastructure security and resilience (DHS, 2013; The White House, 2013).

The fact that a significant portion of the United States’ critical infrastructure is managed privately has implications for emergency management, raising concerns for national security and the handling of community and regional risks. The portion of critical infrastructure managed privately is increasingly aging, augmenting vulnerability to failure and susceptibility to evolving terrorist threats, hence creating challenges for national emergency management (FEMA 2011). I see the attempt to manage the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which contain many national resources, as feasible but only when an aggressive and collaborative approach is adopted. Each of these sectors has a specific protection plan and unique man-made and natural threats and risks (Hemme, 2015). This necessitates a holistic and comprehensive approach that brings together the collaborative efforts of all players in the public and private sectors to attain feasible management.

References

DHS. (2008). A guide to critical infrastructure and key resources protection at the state, regional, local, tribal, and territorial level. Washington, DC. DHS.

DHS. (2013). NIPP 2013: Partnering for critical infrastructure security and resilience. Washington, DC. DHS.

FEMA. (2011). Critical infrastructure: Long-term trends and drivers and their implications for emergency management. Strategic Foresight Initiative. Washington, DC. FEMA.

Hemme, K. (2015). Critical infrastructure protection: Maintenance is national security. Journal of Strategic Security, 8(3), 25-39.

Knapp, E. D., & Langill, J. T. (2014). Industrial network security: Securing critical infrastructure networks for smart grid, SCADA, and other Industrial Control Systems, 2 Ed. Syngress.

The White House. (2013). Presidential policy directive/PPD 21–Critical infrastructure security and resilience. Washington, DC. The White House.