Week 8 - Critical Infrastructure Final

The sectors for critical infrastructure are considered to be inter-, reliant with each other. Despite them operating as well as being classified into different sectors, it is compulsory for them to function with each other. Each among the given sectors is known for having a different role to accomplish in relation to security, economy on addition to the daily life activities. Today I choose to discuss about three critical infrastructures whereby each of them has the same importance with the other one therefore none is better than the other. The sectors I have chosen include the Information Technology sector, the communications sector and the energy sector. My aim is to mainly identify the manner in which the given infrastructures tend to prioritize the assets associated with them, indicate the outcome after an attack on the given infrastructures in addition to defining specific measures that they have in place in ensuring their operations continuity, finalizing in a conclusion as well as a summary.

Critical Infrastructure

The United States is considered to have over sixteen sectors all that are of great importance to the country. They all depend on each other for their daily operations as well as effective functioning. Each sector plays a major role in the growth on addition to the economy of the state.

Energy Sector

The energy sector of the United States leads in production, supply as well as energy consumption. The energy organizations produce natural gas, oil, renewable fuels, and electricity from energy sources that are clean inclusive of solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear power and hydropower.

Interdependencies

There are various interdependencies that are related to the energy sector which is known to cover the most parts of the nation. Energy Sector is considered to be unique in its way mainly because it is the one accountable for fueling the economy. In addition, it is known to be classified into three major different categories which include: oil, natural gas in addition to electricity. As for the natural gas it helps in transportation as well as the gas markets, control systems and the fuel cycles. Electricity on the other hand fuels the dams as well as plants of nuclear power which are basically two sectors that are separate. Oil is also using in transportation, storage, and refineries among other uses (Dick, et.al, 2019)

Presidential Policy Directive 21 is known for identifying Energy Sector as unique as it provides a function that is enabling all over general sectors of critical infrastructure, that means most of other sectors rely heavily on it.

Asset Prioritization

The sector of energy basically has six elaborated different assets in general that are critical in discovering as well as evaluating the vulnerabilities present in this sector. The asset that is the first one is cyber attributes that assist in monitoring as well as controlling the sector of energy. There is also the location and physical attributes that assist in developing strategies that are different for vulnerabilities that are different in addition to identifying means for safeguarding the sector. There is throughput and the volumetric attributes that assist in defining the damage type or capacity points in case the system is at capacity. The human attributes tend to be among the assets that are ranked highest within this list as they tend to be trained highly in addition to very skilled. Their responsibility is ensuring the sector functions as it is intended. There are two more assets that include the load as well as temporal attributes a dimension that is based on time that is impacted by seasons and day type or year that is present. (Blokus and Dziula, 2019).

Continuity of Operations Measures

The department of energy is considered to always be within a working partnership alongside the sector of energy in addition to assisting and supporting the current protective programs and the future ones ensuring the continuity due to the accountability they have with oil, electrical grid in addition to natural gas. The natural gas, oil and subsectors of electricity have made efforts that are extensive into sharing security information. Within the industry of electricity, NERC tends to operate ESSIAC, that is responsible for gathering, disseminating as well as interpreting information that is security-related. There are the government programs set in place like HSIN which is a communication system that is based on internet. They use cybersecurity in combating the cyber-attack threat that is ever-growing that might end up being detrimental in case a hacker is capable of getting into the system of energy sector in addition to crumbling from inside. There are also the plans for contingency established to handle a man-made or a natural disaster.

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting from an Attack

The energy sector is essential because other different critical infrastructure rely heavily on the energy sector for the daily operations. It is common for the experts of cybersecurity, politicians in addition to lawmakers to end up voicing their concerns regarding a power outage that is long-term as a result of cyber-attack. As per the interior department of U.S, the sector of energy ended up being targeted in over 40% of the cyber-attack that were reported. In case the electrical grid gets destroyed, the result would end up being catastrophic to the people of America. Hospitalized individuals would die, no calling 911 in case of emergency. Getting water that is clean might end up being challenging, limitation on the supplies of food which would result into the society crumbling on itself. If it happened to get attacked, lots of different sectors such a as communication, dam, transportation and waste, water sectors in addition to defense industrial base would end up being impacted negatively (Poulin and Kane, 2019, November)

Communications Sector

The sector of communication is an interconnected industry that is competitive, and diverse utilizing satellite, terrestrial and transmission systems that are wireless. It is a component that is integral of the economy of U.S since it underlies the functioning of general enterprises, organizations, government and public safety.

Interdependencies

There is the sector of communication which is known to have similarities with the sector of energy since it is considered to be complex in addition to other critical infrastructures virtually depending on it. Energy sector depends on the communication sector in order to keep track as well as control the electricity delivery. The sector of finance depends on it in the transmission of its transactions in addition to daily financial markets operations like the DOW. The information technology sector depends on the communication sector in relaying its advancements, while it also requires the energy sector to power its innovations. The sector of Emergency service needs communication for resources directing, response coordination, public alert operations as well as warning systems. It is evident that the information technology sector, communication sector as well as the energy sector need each other for their efficiency and daily op there is the sector of communication which is known to have similarities with the sector of energy since it is considered to be complex in addition to other critical infrastructures virtually depending on it. Energy sector depends on the communication sector in order to keep track as well as control the electricity delivery. The sector of finance depends on it in the transmission of its transactions in addition to daily financial markets operations like the DOW. The information technology sector depends on the communication sector in relaying its advancements, while it also requires the energy sector to power its innovations. The sector of Emergency service needs communication for resources directing, response coordination, public alert operations as well as warning systems. It is evident that the information technology sector, communication sector as well as the energy sector need each other for their efficiency and daily operations (Kameshwar, et.al, 2019).

Asset Prioritization

The sector of communication is considered to be that is a bit fascinating in ratio to its assets. Among their assets that are most valuable is basically that satellites already launched into the orbit in order to assist in relaying video, signals of data and voice as a section of the network of telecommunication. The systems for broadcasting are an additional asset belonging to the sector of communication due to the fact that broadcasting has been a means that is principal in providing alert services for emergencies for six decades to the public. The systems for broadcasting function within three bands of frequency which include: medium frequency, very high frequency in addition to ultra-high frequency. In addition, they have a communication system that is wireless that comprises of waves that are electromagnetic as well as a wireline that comprises of various circuits (Mitsova, et.al, 2020).

Continuity of Operations Measures

The communication sector has also set in place various plans to address an emergency of natural disaster, terrorist attack as well as a cyber-attack. In addition, there are various programs that hat been set up to make sure that there is a foundation that is secure in order to have the sector of communication ongoing, putting into consideration that there are threats that are long-range encountered by the sector. Within the United States, officials of the government as well as owners of critical infrastructure in addition to operators rely on the sector of communication to receive and support communications, hence making sure the nation is capable of maintaining essential functions of the mission amidst steady-state as well as crisis situations. It is basically an issue if national security in case communications stopped abruptly. In addition, they also tend to heavily depend on communication with different sectors into making sure general information gets passed. They tend to have dependencies that are critical in addition to mitigation for the dependencies. (Fang and Sansavini, 2019)

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting from an Attack

The sector of communication, in case of an attack it would end up affecting the emergency response. Lack of communication in coordinating their efforts would end up being ineffective. Confusion in addition to information that is false would end up spreading same as wildfire resulting into panic among the people of America as well as distrust within the system. My perception is that loss of communication is basically the most detrimental into our military. It might not be possible to know immediately what lead to the attack and the reason. However, it has high probabilities of costing our troops their lives.

Information Technology Sector

United States is known for having the software as well as information technology services that is most advanced globally. It is an industry that accounts for U.S GDP that is value added worth $1.8 trillion which is above 10% of the economy of the nation in addition to 11.8 million jobs.

Interdependencies

The sector of Information Technology is also depended on by various sectors, as they rely on the technologies in order to carry out as well as have missions executed. As of the energy sector it relies on the information technology in ensuring its operations are carried out effectively, their dispatches in addition to their manufacturing. This is because without enough monitoring of their activities then there would be a challenge in their operations efficiency. The communication sector relies on information technology in ensuring that their techniques of communicating are appropriate, advanced and at oar with the current trends. They rely on Information Technology to relay their messages appropriately and securely too (Lewis, 2019).

Asset Prioritization

As of the sector of information technology it comprises of four major priorities that comprise of: management of risk, resilience of cyber security, partnership in addition to engagement, situational aware as well as information sharing. These priorities, goals as well as steps that are documented into achieving as well as measuring these goals success tend to be a huge outcome of the enhanced NIPP.

Continuity of Operations Measures

As for the information technology it also has plans for operations continuity. They involve an approach of managing risk, there is provision of a framework for managing risk that is capable of being utilized by general sectors of critical infrastructure to evaluate all possible risks in addition to means of defining methods of avoiding as well as lessening the associated risks. Via its approach of management of risk, it is capable of understanding the type of threats. It also sets goals as well as objectives, identification of infrastructure, evaluate in addition to risk analysis, (Thompson, et.al, 2019).

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting from an Attack

In case the sector if got attacked, individuals might be forced to resume usage of things such as absence of credit cards, cash money or probably things like a car that is computer free. There is the possibility of ending up without a phone or landlines since most landlines are considered to be VOIP, in a situation whereby the department of IT happens to get attacked, there might be no worry about the equipment that is it only requires new equipment being set up. The finances that might be lost are massive, same as losing of life.

Summary

The sector of communication, in case of an attack it would end up affecting the emergency response. Lack of communication in coordinating their efforts would end up being ineffective. Confusion in addition to information that is false would end up spreading same as wildfire resulting into panic among the people of America as well as distrust within the system. My perception is that loss of communication is basically the most detrimental into our military. It might not be possible to know immediately what lead to the attack and the reason. However, it has high probabilities of costing our troops their lives.

References

Blokus, A., & Dziula, P. (2019). Safety analysis of interdependent critical infrastructure networks. TransNav, International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety od Sea Transportation, 13(4). Retrieved from

http://www.transnav.eu/Article_Safety_Analysis_of_Interdependent_Blokus,52,955.html

Dick, K., Russell, L., Souley Dosso, Y., Kwamena, F., & Green, J. R. (2019). Deep learning for critical infrastructure resilience. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 25(2), 05019003. Retrieved from https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29IS.1943-555X.0000477

Fang, Y. P., & Sansavini, G. (2019). Optimum post-disruption restoration under uncertainty for enhancing critical infrastructure resilience. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 185, 1-11. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832017310062

Kameshwar, S., Cox, D. T., Barbosa, A. R., Farokhnia, K., Park, H., Alam, M. S., & van de Lindt, J. W. (2019). Probabilistic decision-support framework for community resilience: Incorporating multi-hazards, infrastructure interdependencies, and resilience goals in a Bayesian network. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 191, 106568. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832018315163

Lewis, T. G. (2019). Critical infrastructure protection in homeland security: defending a networked nation. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Yz6-DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA15&dq=critical+infrastructure&ots=eX68U0qidm&sig=k-t1tPOj1aIFwTzYPHxQHi0MJMI

Mitsova, D., Sapat, A., Esnard, A. M., & Lamadrid, A. J. (2020). Evaluating the Impact of Infrastructure Interdependencies on the Emergency Services Sector and Critical Support Functions Using an Expert Opinion Survey. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 26(2), 04020015. Retrieved from https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29IS.1943-555X.0000548

Poulin, C., & Kane, M. (2019, November). Identifying Heterogeneous Infrastructure Interdependencies through Multiverse Simulation. In 2019 Resilience Week (RWS) (Vol. 1, pp. 123-131). IEEE. Retrieved from https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8971826/

Thompson, J. R., Frezza, D., Necioglu, B., Cohen, M. L., Hoffman, K., & Rosfjord, K. (2019). Interdependent Critical Infrastructure Model (ICIM): An agent-based model of power and water infrastructure. International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 24, 144-165. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874548218300659