US homeland security related critical infrastructure matters

US homeland warrantor related life-sustaining al-Qaeda mattersThe statement The Department of Homeland earnest has complete responsibility for all(a) U.S. homeland protective covering related detailed floor (CI) matters is non whole accurate originally, matters of national security were the sole responsibility of the national official presidential term (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 7). Today, national censorious radical protection is a joint parkway among the federal political relation, public and undercover sphere of influences. The Department of Homeland Security was establish to protect and secure the homeland from both domestic and foreign scourges. check to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the development of a plan which impart ensure the security of detailed infrastructure is the responsibility of the DHS (Homeland Security, 2009). Likewise, the DHS is excessively amenable for recommending the measures necessary to protect the key resources and depreca tive infrastructure of the United States (Homeland Security, 2009, p. 2).The bang of DHS is iodine that involves the protection of infrastructure and critical facilities and networks (Homeland Security, 2010, p. 33). The DHS is responsible for the identification and sagaciousness of all components which make up critical infrastructure. In addition to mitigating potentiality vulnerabilities improving the resilience of critical infrastructure, is also a top antecedence of the DHS. This includes but is not limited to stand-alone facilities and interdependent systems and networks at bottom and crosswise critical infrastructure sphere of influences (Homeland Security, 2010, p. 34).The DHS serves as the leader and facilitator for those agencies who sh ar responsibility for protect the nations critical infrastructures (Homeland Security, 2010, p. 31). Those agencies include territorial, tribal, local and state governments, as tumefy as the hidden sector and opposite agencies not associated with the government (Homeland Security, 2003). Conversely, when a fortuity occurs these agencies ar the first line of exculpation for national critical infrastructures. change surface though the DHS is responsible for leading critical infrastructure efforts, coordination of security measures within local and state governments and critical sector industry leaders ar the responsibility of federal lead departments and agencies (Homeland Security, 2003). Similarly, it is the responsibility of state and local governments to win protection to critical infrastructures that are located within their jurisdictions (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 10). If and when a catastrophic event should occur which exhaust the capabilities of local and state governments, it is up to the federal government to coordinate a response (Homeland Security, 2003).A majority of our nations critical infrastructures are semiprivately owned or operated, which means that the private sector are initially responsible for providing protection against threats to their facilities (Homeland Security, 2003). When the threat becomes much than the private sector can take placele then the government impart grade in to assist and ensure that our nations critical infrastructures and assets are protected (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 11). Likewise, the federal government will be at that place to propose support for an environs in which the private sector can better carry taboo its specific responsibilities (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 11).The chemical sector is one of the most vulnerable critical infrastructures to natural disaster and terrorist comings, that being said the DHS is working with the EPA to enhance security at chemical facilities (Homeland Security, 2003). In addition, special attention is being paying(a) to those facilities which house large quantities of hazardous chemicals (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 78). Studies conducted by the DHS and private sector are currently u nderway to identify and understand physical vulnerabilities within the tele confabulations infrastructure and their associated risks (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 61).Even though the private sector mustiness occasionally set about assistance from the DHS, in that respect are times when the federal government must rely on the private sector to lend a hand in destiny response and recovery. An example of the federal government vocation on the private sector for assistance was the anthrax scare of 2001. A large capital letter D.C. construction corporation was contracted to oversee the intermission and restoration of the Brentwood localize office in Washington D.C. and the Trenton Post office facility in New Jersey.One must also understand that quite a few of our nations critical infrastructures cross planetary borders (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 35). Therefore the federal government has partnered with the neighboring countries to provide security for our co-ordinated infrastru ctures (Homeland Security, 2003, p. 35). The United States partnership with Canada is is a vital asset to national critical infrastructure, efforts are being made to provide protection for international incorporated infrastructures. An example of this partnership is the Alaskan Canadian hightway. In order to apotheosis goods and supplies to Alaska we must travel cross Canadian territory.It is evident that matters of critical infrastrucutre involves not only the DHS but the public and private sectors as well. The DHS would not be able to carry out their responsibilites without the assistance of local and state agencies, the private sector and vice versa.The U.S. government has made great strides in evolution techniques and strategies to flavour U.S. critical infrastructures which will make them more resistant to terrorist attack and natural disasters. One of the U.S. governments goals is to establish a strong partnership that spans across all levels of government, in addition to the private sector and the American bulk (Homeland Security, 2009). The Protected Critical Infrastructure Information Program is just one of many steps taken by the U.S. government to harden critical infrastructure. This computer programme provides protection to security-related critical infrastructure information (Homeland Security, 2009, p. 5).By prisonbreak down each critical infrastructure sector it is easier to understand how the U.S. government has been successful in hardening each critical infrastructure. The agriculture and forage sector is one of the most vulnerable critical infrastructures, that being said, efforts to harden this sector are an ongoing challenge (Mark Sauter James Carafano, 2005). The U.S. government has revise its measures by providing more protection by the hiring of more health inspectors, and adding more reporting requirements (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 291). Contamination of our nations water supply is often a way out of concern efforts are bei ng made by the Environmental breastplate Agency as well as the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a vulnerability and threat assessment (Sauter Carafano, 2005). These assessments will make better not only site security at high threat locations it will also enhance monitoring and sharing of information (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 292).With regards to the critical infrastructure of public health the U.S. government has implemented measures to harden biomedical surveillance (Sauter Carafano, 2005). This is extremely important because of the risks of a biological attack. There engage also been improvements in hardening security of emergency stockpiles of medical supplies (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 294). In order to improve the physical security of medical structures the U.S. government has provided incentives to the private sector (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 294).In response to hardening the critical infrastructure of emergency services the U.S. government has established measures to harden interoperable and redundant communication networks (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 295). The U.S. government has instituted a tougher national emergency preparedness exercise program which teaches better security and promotes consistent protection planning and response protocols (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 295). Since the defense industrial base critical infrastructure sector is owned by a majority of the private sector the U.S. government has implemented sassy measures to include critical infrastructure protection requirements in contract processes (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 296). Likewise, security is being strengthened in the defense related commercial merchandise and distribution processes (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 296).The telecommunications critical infrastructure has been assessed by the U.S. government, and in return a program has been designed to identify where the most vulnerable areas are in the communication architecture and then address the security issue (Sauter Carafano, 2005). Conversely, in that location have also been efforts made in the energy critical infrastructure sector to enhance resilience of the energy facilities (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 298). Facility equipment is being repaired and replaced and there have also been improvements in restoration and recovery of services (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 298). probative improvements have been made to harden the transportation critical infrastructure sector for example, security initiatives have been established to provide commercial airliners with protection from elevate fired missiles (Sauter Carafano, 2005, p. 299). There have also been new developments in showing technology which help identify potential threats to transportation as well as aiding the postal service sector in identifying suspicious accouterments (Sauter Carafano, 2005, pp. 301-302).Despite the many efforts being made to harden critical infrastructure, there are still several weaknesses in the U .S. governments strategy. Lets face it, the only other thing that is more costly than hardening critical infrastructure is the rumpus or potential loss of operations in those critical infrastructures. It is undefended that trying to harden all critical infrastructures is too daunting of a task and is not cost effective. The U.S. government needs to focus on those areas of the United States where our critical infrastructures are most vulnerable (e.g. New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. etc.).The federal government also needs to look at the protection of our nations water ways. Information security systems need to be deployed to guard the locks on the Mississippi and St. Lawrence seaways (Bruce Don David Mussington). By employing an information security system it will enable the monitoring of vessels and ships while in locks or approaching locks (Don Mussington). To provide another level of security, river marshals could be deployed to accompany dangerous shipments through the locks (Don Mussington). Many people dont realize that a large majority of our nations goods are transported through inland waterways, which is why it is important that more attention be paid to the transportation sector.