Airports are a significant entry across the world, which makes them essential for every country. This has made security around most major international airports of utmost importance, given that they make up countries’ critical infrastructure. According to the United States Department of Homeland Security (2019), critical infrastructure refers to both physical and cyber systems that are important to the country's economy and the way of life of the Americans; hence, their destruction would have debilitating effects to the economy. Usually, critical infrastructure refers to things such as banking and finance, healthcare industry, energy sector, transport, and communication system. This paper will analyze the potential threats and vulnerabilities the Richmond International Airport, located in Virginia, faces daily. Also, the paper will have a look at the different stakeholders that ensure security, prevention, and risk management at the facility.
Security Stakeholders
Just like any other major airport in the United States, Richmond International Airport has several stakeholders. One of the major stakeholders at the airport is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The agency is mandated to ensure security within the airport to protect the American transportation system to ensure that there is free movement of people and goods in the country (Transportation Security Administration, 2018). The agency supervises activities such as the screening of all passengers and luggage come to the U.S. via the Richmond International Airport. The screening is done to ensure that no passenger boards an aeroplane with illegal substances, such as drugs, firearms, and explosives.
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Apart from TSA, the other security stakeholder within the airport is Richmond International Airport Police Department (RICPD). The role of this police department is similar to any other police department around the country; however, RICPD is restricted to serving people within the airport alone. The department is mandated to serve the people by responding to any type of threat or incident within the confines of the facility.
Description of Assessments
Threat Assessment
Just like most other airports in the country, Richmond International Airport faces numerous risks that pose a threat. The risks range from natural, accidental, and to an extent, intentional. Despite the difference in nature, all these risks are a threat to the role of the airport in the country. Hence, it is of paramount importance to understand and beware of the different types of threat that the facility can face.
Natural threats.
The airport is susceptible to several natural threats. Some of the risks may result from hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. All of the threats above mean that the airport can be closed for an extended period if they were to happen. If the airport were to face one of these natural threats, the airport would be forced to close down, causing a major distraction to the transport system as well as losing much-needed revenue. For example, such risks would cause unimaginable damage to the airport's runway, building, cargo, aeroplanes, and people. The effects of natural threats to the critical infrastructure across the country can be seen from the various disasters the country has faced in general.
Accidental threats.
These types of threats would be as a result of machines in the airport. The threats include a potential plane crash or any other mechanical failure from other machines. Also, the threats can encompass building catching fire. In the case of these threats happening, the expected damage would be considerably less compared to natural threats. However, the damage and injuries caused can still be severe. People, cargo, buildings, and any other item in the airport can be affected by these threats. The threat can result from natural causes such as wind forcing an aeroplane to crash land or from a machine malfunctioning.
Intentional or malicious threats.
There are numerous forms of intentional threats that the airport can face. Currently, one of the significant intentional threats that airports around the world have to be concerned with is terrorism. Terrorism is a major point of concern for Richmond International Airport due to its location, which makes it possible for a significant number of people to use it daily as well as precious cargo. In a potential terror attack, the main target would be the large number of passengers using the facility, although, planes and other assets can be targeted too.
Apart from terrorism, smuggling of illegal things in the country is another intentional concern for the airport. This vice is a major concern for people and authorities across the globe. In most cases, people try to smuggle drugs into the country; however, other forms of smuggling encompass animals, weapons, and food, among other things. Smugglers try to sneak these things into the country for financial gain, to cause harm in the case of weapons or personal enjoyment; thus, they will do anything possible to be successful in their quest. Hence, stringent measures should be put in place to avoid this from happening.
Vulnerability Assessment
The vulnerability may mean that a system or the operating environment has an inherent weakness that individuals can exploit posing a threat to the system and people (Radvanovsky & McDougall, 2019). In case of exploitation, there are five potential categories ranging from catastrophic, critical, limited, minor, to negligible.
Catastrophic – in such a situation, the damage is extensive, causing the facility unimaginable financial loss. Usually, catastrophic impact results in the infrastructure being damaged to an extent it might be rendered useless. This type of impact results in the loss of most things.
Critical – This type of impact can result in the infrastructure being partially damaged or contaminated. In most cases, they can result in some of the infrastructure content being damaged while the infrastructure remains contact.
Limited – This the kind of impact that does not have a lasting effect on the operation of the airport. For example, the effect can only cause the airport to be closed for a single day. They usually result in a few things being damaged; hence, easy to replace.
Minor – this refers to the type of impact that has a little financial loss to the facility. Usually, in these situations, there is no major damage to the infrastructure or other contents.
Negligible - In such situations, the impact had no notable impact on the infrastructure and did not cause any financial loss worth paying attention. Also, these impacts lead to no asset loss.
Target attractiveness refers to the value an aggressor may place on certain assets and is usually determined by the importance in terms of functionality or location of the facility (Renfroe, & Smith, 2016). There are five categories of rating the possibility of a thing happening. The types include highly likely, likely, possible, unlikely, and remote.
Highly-likely: This means that the infrastructure is likely to be targeted, and it is a high-profile facility with an insufficient level of defense.
Likely: This refers to an average profile facility with an insufficient level of defense.
Possible: The level of defense is not as expected, and it is an average facility.
Unlikely: These targets are characterized by being a low-profile facility with sufficient level of defense.
Remote: The target is low-profile with more than sufficient level of defense.
Conclusion
The assessment was done for Richmond International Airport, which is located in Virginia. The facility has several security stakeholders such as TSA and RICPD. The facility can be faced by numerous threat such as hurricanes, accidents, and acts of terrorism. The vulnerabilities can be placed into five potential impact categories and five categories that rate the likelihood of occurrence.
References
Radvanovsky, R., & McDougall, A. (2019). Critical infrastructure: Homeland security and emergency preparedness (3rd ed.). Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781466503465/cfi/0!/4/4@0.00:0.00.
Renfroe, N. A., & Smith, J. L. (2016, August 08). Threat / vulnerability assessments and risk analysis. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from https://www.wbdg.org/resources/threat-vulnerability-assessments-and-risk-analysis
Transportation Security Administration. (2018, April 25). Mission. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.tsa.gov/about/tsa-mission
U.S Department of Homeland Security. (2019, March 01). Infrastructure security. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.dhs.gov/topic/critical-infrastructure-security
