[Edit] Infrastructure Sectors

The national infrastructure sectors that were identified as critical include:

• Banking and Finance- The banking and finance sector is involved in all types of monetary transactions, including storage, investment exchange, and disbursement. Public confidence is a key factor in the banking and finance sector

• Transportation- Transportation demands are increasing but capacity is limited. Computers have enabled the transportation sector to achieve greater efficiency with just-in-time delivery, optimization of critical hubs that maximize throughput, and consolidation of operations centers.

• Power Systems- Our energy supply including electric, oil, and gas is the economic and social lifeblood of our nation. They are essential to every aspect of our society.

• Information and Communications- Our economy and way of life rely heavily on telecommunications and information technology.

• Law Enforcement- The law enforcement agencies at every level of our society ensure the smooth orderly running of our day-to-day operations, activities and routines. The need for order is even more acute during times of threat or crises.

• Government Services- It is imperative that the continuity of our government be guaranteed at all times. Sufficient capabilities at the federal, state, and local levels of government are required to meet the need for essential services to the public.

• Fire- The importance of our fire and other emergency services was brought to light during 9-11 events.

• Emergency Health Services- Our reliance on emergency health services is demonstrated in communities across the nation every day.

• National Water Supply- Water systems provide safe water on demand across the United States.

The criticality of each sector applies not only to the daily operations of American society but also to military operations and defense. With 98 percent of the critical infrastructure privately owned, the military depends on the commercial infrastructure to support its operations.

[Edit] The Importance of cip

In September 1995: The Russian national who allegedly masterminded the break-in of Citicorp's electronic funds transfer system was ordered to stand trial in the United States. A gang of hackers under his leadership breached Citicorp's security 40 separate times during 1994. The hackers were able to transfer 12 million dollars from customer accounts and withdraw an estimated $400,000 dollars.

On March 9, 1999: Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre warned Congress of a cyber terrorist "electronic Pearl Harbor" saying, "It is not going to be against Navy ships sitting in a Navy shipyard. It is going to be against commercial infrastructure…."

The above mentioned event exemplifies how CIP applies in a “Real World” scenerio. In the past, the systems and networks of the infrastructure elements were physically and logically independent and separate. They had little interaction or connection with each other or other sectors of the infrastructure. With advances in technology, the systems within each sector became automated and linked. As the revolution in information technology accelerated, the systems and sectors became increasingly interdependent and connected through computers and communications facilities.

As a result, there is now a vast interconnected network of systems that are dependent on one other. As an example, the flow of electricity, oil, gas, and telecommunications throughout the country are inextricably linked. Access to these interlinking systems can be managed through an Internet from all over the world, blurring traditional borders. While this increased reliance on interlinked capabilities helps make the economy and nation more efficient and perhaps stronger, it also makes the country more vulnerable to disruption and attack. This interdependent and interrelated infrastructure is more vulnerable to physical and cyber disruptions because it has become a complex system with single points of failure. An incident in the past that would have been an isolated failure and done little damage, can now cause widespread disruption because of a cascading effect. As an example, capabilities within the information and communication sector have enabled the United States to reshape its government and business processes. Like other sectors, however, the information and communication sector has also become increasingly software driven. One failure in this sector can bring down multiple systems including air traffic control, emergency services, banking, trains, electrical power, and dam control.

The elements of the infrastructure themselves are now considered likely targets of terrorism. Traditionally, critical infrastructures have been lucrative targets for anyone wanting to attack another country. Now, because our infrastructure is our national life-line, terrorists can achieve high economic and political value by attacking elements of it. Disrupting or even disabling the infrastructure reduces the ability to act in our national security interest, erode the public confidence in critical services, and or reduce economic strength. Additionally, terrorist attacks are easier and less costly than traditional warfare because of the interdependence of infrastructure elements. The infrastructure elements are targets for attack because there is a low probability of detection.

The elements of the infrastructure are also increasingly vulnerable to a dangerous mix of traditional and nontraditional types of threats. Traditional and non-traditional threats include equipment failures, human error, weather and natural causes, physical attacks, and cyber attacks. For each of these threats, the cascading effect caused by single points of failure can pose dire and far-reaching consequences.

Most experts expect the frequency and severity of critical infrastructure incidents to increase in the future. Although efforts are under way, there is no unified national capability to protect the interrelated aspects of the country's infrastructure. One reason for this is that a good understanding of the inter-relationships does not exist. There is also not a consensus on how the elements of the infrastructure mesh together, or how each element functions and affects the others. Securing our national infrastructure depends on understanding the relationships among its elements.

Critical infrastructure protection requires the development of a national capability to identify and monitor the critical elements and to determine when and if the elements are under attack or are the victim of destructive natural occurrences. CIP is important because it is the link between risk management and infrastructure assurance. It provides the capability needed to eliminate potential vulnerabilities in the critical infrastructure. CIP is how we determine our vulnerabilities and analyze alternatives. It is the way we will become prepared. Protecting the national infrastructure is a key element in future national security. There appears to be an urgent need to improve our capability to detect and warn of impending attacks on, and system failures within, the critical elements of the national infrastructure.