Expert answer:Writing Assignment
Expert answer:For this writing assignment, both questions need to be addressed:Your response for question 1 should be 3-5 pages in length (double spaced). Your paper must include a “reference page” not included in the 3-5 page minimum.Using your CIKR paper from week 3, continue the risk analysis of your CIKR being impacted by a natural disaster, terrorism or technological event. Answer the following questions for each type of event: (1) what can happen? (2) how likely is it? (3) what are the consequences? When completed with the analysis, report findings and steps you would take make your CIKR more risk adverse. Use the Qualitative Analysis found in Ch. 10 to help create a matrix.Your response to question two should be 2-pages in length (double spaced). Be sure to include the perceived impact of the event on the Homeland Security landscape, your opinion of the event, and defense of your opinion. Your paper must include a “reference page” not included in the 2-page minimum.Current Events: Current Event assignments are designed to give you an opportunity to critically examine contemporary Homeland Security issues related to Emergency Response, Disaster Mitigation, Prevention, and Preparedness. You are challenged to find news articles, press releases, industry announcements, etc. that impact some aspect of Homeland Security. National and international events may be used, but MUST be related to Emergency Response, Disaster Mitigation, Prevention, and Preparedness.Resources for Assessment:Textbook Reading: Introduction to Homeland Security, chapter 10
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Running Head: Writing Assignment
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Writing Assignment
The textbook defines critical infrastructure as “the assets’ systems and networks, whether
physical or virtual, so vital that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating
effect on security, national economic security, public health or safety.”
For this week’s writing assignment, please create a report that answers the following questions:
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Provide a brief description of 3-5 CIKR that exist within your community.
Select one CIKR and identify the private and public partnership structure.
What Sector-Specific Agency would be responsible for providing institutional knowledge / and
specialized expertise for your CIKR?
Conduct a risk assessment by identifying the threat (natural and manmade), vulnerabilities and
consequence to your CIKR.
What activities would you implement to help manage your risk?
How would you evaluate the effectiveness of your activities?
How would information be shared throughout the process?
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Critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) are networks and systems that constitute
the backbone of society. They are a combination of natural and manmade resources that a nation
depends on fully to function well. These systems need a way of processing, delivery and above
all, a means to protect them. There are 16 critical infrastructure sectors recognized by the
government of the United States. The components of these infrastructure and resources are
interconnected and dependent on many outside forces. For this reason, principal services such as
the military, police and intelligence agencies act to protect these critical resources
These systems include transport systems, food, agriculture, water, energy, and
communication systems, among others. The transportation system is one of the most essential
infrastructures everywhere in the world. The USA’s transport system for instance ensures that
people and goods move from a place to another safely, securely and quickly locally and abroad.
Water is another resource that no one can do without. Hence, it’s crucial that the government
ensures that its citizens have access to safe drinking water and well treated waste water.
Communications infrastructure is another indispensible resource. The United States of America
government established a protection outline for the country’s communication infrastructure as
well as all the other CIKRs. Communication is essential for the survival of the human race, and
all avenues for communication should be protected.
Most of the CIKR have both public and private partnership structures. One such
infrastructure is the transport system. The public-private partnerships (PPPs) are important
because they ensure that private participants can invest in, manage and deliver transportation.
(Public private partnerships for transport infrastructure, 2017)Private-public partnerships are
regulated by local, national and international factors and the rules and regulations vary
depending on the situation. In the United States of America, the Transportation Security
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Administration (TSA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) are the Sector-Specific
Agencies (SSAs) responsible for providing institutional knowledge and or specialized expertise
for the Transportation Systems. (National Infrastructure Protection Plans 2013, 2013) The
readiness of the activities among the sector’s private-public partners to prevent, respond to,
protect against, and recover from all threats that could possibly devastate homeland security, the
economy or public safety or health are coordinated by these two bodies in partnership with the
Department of Transportation. This Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) fulfils
the requirements of two significant bodies in government. These are the requirements of
Homeland Security’s Presidential Directive 7 which are identification, protection and
prioritization of Critical Infrastructure and the requirements of the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for the National Strategy for Transportation Security.
(National Infrastructure Protection Plans 2013, 2013)
The transport system faces threats from all sides. It is a very delicate system vulnerable to
infrastructural damage, traffic congestion, accidents, mechanical failures and meteorological
disasters. (Gustitus, 2015) Bad weather impedes transportation in many parts of the world. Bad
weather of any kind like too much snow, fog, rain, heat or wind impairs transportation. There are
threats of all sorts that face the transport system as well. These threats to this critical system
include natural disasters such as earthquakes, sinkholes, tornados, wildfire, volcanic eruptions
and floods. For instance, storms can prevent virtually all forms of transportation; Airports are
closed down and flights are postponed, road transport is put on hold and transportation by water
becomes impossible. Man-made threats to the transport system also exist. Terrorist attacks have
especially become a massive source of security concern especially at the airports. Others include
road accidents, engineering and mechanical fails, hostage situations, vandalism, and hijacking
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among others. The consequences of these vulnerabilities and threats are numerous. They include
but are not limited to: loss of lives, destruction of property, poor economy and wastage of time
and resources.
Several measures can be put in place to manage the risks to the transport system. Some of
the risks such as natural disasters cannot be prevented. This does not mean that they cannot be
minimized as well. Prediction of weather patterns and be very helpful in regulating
transportation. This will not help to maintain transportation in such situations but will help to
minimize the loss of lives and property. Other risks such as traffic congestion and road accidents
can be reduced by proper education enforcement of traffic laws. Strict security measures at
airports, bus station, trains, water vessels and any other mode of transportation will help to
prevent terrorism, petty theft, vandalism and hijacking in the transport system. (Campbell, 2016)
Engineers or mechanics should always take their work seriously and inspect transportation
vessels such as vehicles and airplanes to ensure that they are safe to use. These are some of the
measures that I would implement to manage the risks to this CIKR.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the measures above, I would check with departments
such as homeland security, which are in charge of protection of CIKRs to see whether these
measures are implemented well and whether or not they have reduced the risk to the transport
system since they were implemented. I would also go personally to various transport sectors and
get first hand information from people using the transport system to know whether the measures
were effective. Communication is vital to this whole process. Transfer of information is not
particularly hard in this era hence phone calls, texts, emails, face to face interactions, video
chats, letters and many more modes of communication would be effective in relaying
information during the entire process.
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In conclusion, CIKRs are infrastructure and resources that would be hard to live without. People
may not realize their value and hence take them for granted, but the United States government
like most governments around the world, has identified how crucial they are. That is why bodies
have been formed to ensure that these resources are processed, well distributed, prioritized and
protected.
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REFERENCES
1. Campbell, K. (2016, february 5). Safety first. Retrieved november 10, 2017, from Creamer
media’s engineering news.
2. Gustitus, C. (2015, january 29). Top 3 challenges facing the transportation market. Retrieved
november 10, 2017, from Verint cyber intelligence.
3. National Infrastructure Protection Plans 2013. (2013). U.S. Department of Homeland Security .
4. Public private partnerships for transport infrastructure. (2017, february 24). Retrieved
november 10, 2017, from OECD.
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