Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

UNITED STATES

MANUEL SUTER AND ELGIN BRUNNER

Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich, Switzerland

1 CRITICAL SECTORS

In the US, critical infrastructures are defined according to the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, section 1016e: “[ … ] the term ‘critical infrastructure’ means systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters” [1].

Based on this definition, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7), issued on December 2003, identified 17 critical infrastructures and key resources (CI/KR) and delineated the roles and responsibilities for the protection of these sectors. The most recent policy plan (the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, issued in 2006) [2] and the current strategy for Homeland Security (issued in 2007) [3] both reconfirm the HSPD-7 list of 17 critical sectors and the corresponding assignment of responsibilities. However, the list of critical infrastructures and key resources is not meant to be final and conclusive—HSPD-7 states that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “shall […] evaluate the need for and coordinate the coverage of additional critical infrastructure and key resources categories over ...