Juan Alicia EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from adversity and return to the previous norm. This term not only describes a quality in people but also the ability of objects or places to recover to their original shape or function. In the case of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA),…
Critical Infrastructure
Pre-Incident Planning for the Los Alamos National Laboratory
Troy Hughes EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Energy (DOE) operates seventeen national laboratories across the United States. These laboratories conduct scientific research across a wide spectrum of topics, including the environment, health, computing, and national security. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) focuses on national security. LANL was established in 1943, and its staff work to…
The Cold War on Terrorism: Reevaluating Critical Infrastructure Facilities as Targets for Terrorist Attacks
by David Riedman Portions of this article are excerpted from the author’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security master’s degree thesis “How Critical is Critical Infrastructure?” The full document is available in the Homeland Security Digital Library.1 Countries are inverted pyramids that rest precariously on their strategic innards–their leadership, communications, key production, infrastructure, and population.…
Implementing Compstat Principles Into Critical Infrastructure Protection and Improvement
Mark Molinari EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Critical infrastructure (CI) comprises the assets and networks that assist in energy, health, defense, transportation, and other areas to promote an interconnected network of utilities and services. These assets must be monitored and improved in a prioritized manner to ensure proper working order and appropriate use of tax revenue designated to…
Apples to Apples: RAMCAP and Emerging Threats to Lifeline Infrastructure
by Richard White, Randy George, Terrance Boult, and C. Edward Chow Abstract The search for a uniform risk analysis for critical infrastructure protection prompted a look at RAMCAP to see if it accommodates emerging threats from climate change, aging infrastructure, and cybersecurity. This article examines the role of Reference Scenarios in guiding RAMCAP estimations of…
Shadows of Stuxnet: Recommendaions for U.S. Policy on Critical Infrastructure Cyber Defense Derived from The Stuxnet Attack
Ronald Lendvay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cyber security for critical infrastructures (Cis) ranks among the highest United States (U.S.) national security priorities. The national well-being and the fabric of American’s daily lives rely upon the security and resiliency of CIs. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refers to (CI) as the, “backbone of our nation’s economy, security…
How Critical is Critical Infrastructure?
David Riedman Executive Summary Origin of the Research Question The owner of a commercial office building can contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and request that a federal representative tour the building to identify vulnerabilities from terrorism. Information about the physical attributes of the facility is entered into a computer program to…