Critical Infrastructure Protection and Security, Essay Example

It is very important that the government get involved with the infrastructure that protects and binds the U.S because the infrastructure revolves around people’s lives. The government knows that any compromise in the infrastructure will cause the system to collapse, they also know that lives will be lost as a result. Keeping up with the critical infrastructure and the protection of it will preserve livelihoods all across the world. The government’s involvement with the infrastructure is important to everyone in the United States.The best way to go about protecting the critical infrastructure is to raise the overall volume, accuracy and eminence of the cyber threat information that comes online through the different online sectors so as to better protect the infrastructure against cyber-attacks from terrorists as well as other groups who would do harm to the infrastructure.McCaul explained that Cyber security is vital to survival in the U.S. and acts of terrorism or violence that would terminate the infrastructure are dealt with in a timely manner. Cyber security is in place to abruptly halt all harmful cyber activity. (McCaul, 2013, pg.1) The role of the CIP is that it is the main part of the critical infrastructure that enables people to live the way they do, it is not just a part of a large cyber security element; it is a way of life. Wolff and Koenig (2010) explains that the upkeep of the critical infrastructures are necessary for life in the U.S. to remain as it is, damage or destruction of any kind to the infrastructures that govern people’s lives will likely make life more complicated for people (Wolff and Koenig, 2010, pg. 3) This is simply stating that people’s lives would not be the same if even one of these infrastructure were to collapse. For example, if the infrastructure that runs the train lines in Chicago were damaged, trains all over Chicago would stop running; people would be late for work, CEOs late for their own meetings. A lamentable situation for all.

Yes, I would know what to do and to prevent shortfalls of any kind, I would conduct a daily sweep and checkup of all infrastructure functions under my jurisdiction. Obama (2014) explains how important it is to prevent and continue to prevent all cyber security attacks that might threaten our nation’s infrastructure (Obama, 2014, pg.1) The way that I would improve the infrastructure is by hiring the world’s best computer geniuses and having them do a full systems check on the various infrastructures that we as a people live our lives by, if a threat is detected or found then I would see to it that it is eliminated on sight.The NIPP does indeed provide more than enough guidance to protect the KR and CIP, there is little to worry about in the fact that we are protected by the works of NIPP in order to ensure our lives and keep things coming. Knapp explains that health concerns will be at an all-time high if the infrastructure that guides and governs the NIPP is compromised, too many things rely on the focus as well as the perfect synchronicity of this infrastructure (Knapp, 2011, pg.10-11) Can the U.S protect its own infrastructure regardless of everyone else, the answer is no. The reason is because the president would say and I would be inclined to agree that the needs of the American people need to come first, he also knows that there is nothing to be gained from not protecting the infrastructure of your own land. People need to get to work on time, people need to use their debit cards to buy foods and medical supplies if need be. Looking out for and protecting the needs of the American people is number one, there is no greater task than that. For example, protecting the nation’s critical infrastructures is the key to making sure that people have power in their houses as well as food on their tables. Any vulnerability in any of the aforementioned infrastructures would make the United States an easy mark for other nations to compromise or completely take over the U.S, people know the importance of the infrastructures and how important they are to the country as well as how important it is to human life on earth.

References

Knapp, E. (2011). Identification of Critical Systems. In Industrial Network Security: Securing Critical Infrastructure Networks for Smart Grid, SCADA , and Other Industrial Control Systems (1st ed., Vol. 1, pp. 10-11). Elsevier.

McCaul, M. (2014). H.R.3696 – National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2014. Library of Congress, 1(1), 1-1.

Obama, B. (2014, January 1). Executive Order — Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/12/executive-order-improving-critical-infrastructure-cybersecurity

Wolff, E., & Koenig, G. (2010, January 1). Chapter 6 The Role of the Private Sector in Emergency Preparedness, Planning and Response. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from http://www.atlanta-businesslitigation.com/The-Role-of-the-Private-Sector-Article.pdf