Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Assessing, Integrating, and Managing Threats

Abstract 

There are several critical infrastructures that support the functioning and wellbeing of the society. The critical infrastructures are of great importance and are mandatory for the development of any society. The critical structures are grouped into various sectors, depending on the social needs they address. The major sectors forming up the critical structures include the communications sector, commercial facility sector, emergency service sector, energy sector, defense industrial sector, energy sector, food and agriculture sector, healthcare and public health sector, and the transportations systems sector. There exist interdependencies in each of the sectors in that they all rely on a variety of factors to remain in the progressive position. Assets are often allocated to each of the sectors of the critical infrastructure to keep them and ensure their development. Also, there are a number of strategies that are put in place to ensure that each of the sector’s operations remains in progress. Following that there are a number of notable challenges in all the sectors, there is a need to adopt strategies that will enhance the productivity of the sectors. 

Keywords: Information, efficiency, environment, critical infrastructure, emergency services. 

Critical Infrastructure Sectors 

Critical Structures are of great importance and ensures the wellbeing of the society and the economy. The Americas Federal Government funds all the critical infrastructures to make sure they are operating and their productivity keeps rising. There exists a substantial interdependence between the various critical infrastructures. The interdependence make all the infrastructure sectors a priority as neglect on any of the sector would compromise the others as well. This implies that a lack of continuity of action in any of the infrastructures would cause deterioration on the others. Despite the interdependencies, each of the infrastructures addresses a different social need (Moteff, 2005) . Among the numerous critical infrastructures are Healthcare and Public Health Sector, Emergency Service Sector and Food and Agriculture sector. The interdependency among the Critical Infrastructures can be described by evaluating the relationships that exist between the three sectors of America’s critical infrastructures and the other sectors and among themselves. The Emergency Service, Food and Agriculture, and Healthcare and Public Health Sectors prioritizes their available assets and in the meantime, have measures for continuity of action and this has been much important on the improving outcomes recorded in each of the sectors. 

Emergency Services Sector 

The emergency services include the police, which is responsible for investigations, and maintenance of public order as well as law enforcement. Fire management and emergency medical services are also categorized under emergency services management. Emergency services are in place to protect lives from the possible harms that occur much often in the society. Or instance, in case of an attack, the police service comes in getting control over the scene by scaring away and arresting the attackers. The emergency health service, on the other side, would take the role of offering first aid and transporting the injured individuals to the nearest care center for medical administration ( Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019) . The roles of the emergency service I recommendable and a need to adjust by focusing on several considerations boost the efficiency of the    sector. 

Interdependencies 

The emergency services sector cannot work independently to achieve its goals. Instead, it interdepends on certain external factors and departments. Firstly, ESS depends on physical infrastructure to achieve its goals. The emergency teams, such as the police, EMS and Firefighters need to respond fastest by arriving at the scene of the disaster to take control of the disaster before its impacts spread to affect a large area and a bigger population. This means that they need to find a fast transport means so that the arrival is timely. By arriving in time, it is possible for the personnel in the sector to keep the citizens secure from suffering extreme consequences of the disaster.  

The emergency service sector is interdependent on the well-developed transport network to perfectly address emergency needs. The emergency service sector is also interdependent on the communication network. Well established communication network enables the communication between the citizens affected by accident to report the case in time ( Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019) . When the information about the accident is received in time before the spread of its consequence, then it can be controlled before the number of victims grows to dangerous levels. Taking control of the emergency accidents in time is much important because it is not only safe for the affected citizens but also cheap as the little the spread of a disaster, the more comfortable and less expensive it control will be. For instance, in the case of the fire incident, the firefighters would arrive at the affected area in time if there is the information reaches them quickly. It is also essential to understand that an effective communication network is required when handling the work because it makes their coordination easier, facilitating the completion of the tasks quickly and  perfectly. 

Asset Prioritization 

The emergency service sector is keen on making sure that the operations of the sector are perfect at all times. Therefore, it tends to focus on the available resource on improving several areas. The first area that the sector prioritizes its assets is in research. The sector invests a lot in research and development following the great need for more efficient approaches to different risks. Since all sorts of risks, physical, and cyber risks are tacked by the sector, research is an important area for asset focus so that the new trends of cyber and physical risks can be determined, their vulnerabilities evaluated and an appropriate counter-strategy is developed ( Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019) . Focusing on research also helps the sector itself. Secondly, the sector prioritizes the assets on emergency equipment and resource allocation. Effective emergency management by the ESS is only possible if there is sufficient equipment, including fire extinguishers, for firefighters, among others. This brings about the need to spend much money on purchasing the equipment for use in addressing the accident. 

Continuity of Operations Measures 

The ESS has several measures for continuity of operations in place to make sure that the sector remains effective and improves in its approaches to addressing the various hazards in the community. The first strategy in place is increasing the number of emergency service stations. Spreading the stations in various place make it easier for the teams to arrive at the locations of incidences faster, hence taking effective control of the situation ( Hemme, 2015) . The sector is also keen on training, testing, and exercise to make sure that the personnel are fit for their jobs and are equipped with efficient knowledge to handle their various roles appropriately ( Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2019) . Other continuity of operations measures include useful recording of the incidences, human resource, and continuity communications, which all tend towards enhancing constant merit in the    sector. 

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting From an Attack 

While the strategies in place support the sector to great levels, there is a need for the citizens, the government, and the entire society to put in some efforts in adder the disparities that exist in the sector. The citizens and the government need to allocate funds for emergencies. This includes funding the ESS to make sure that all the equipment necessary for addressing emergencies in time ( Hemme, 2015) . The citizen should also be ready to report and listen to the instructions from the emergency events respondents as a way of providing a favorable working environment for them. 

Food and Agriculture sector 

Food and the agricultural sector play significant roles in the development of a country. The sector improves the economy by contributing to national income. Many leading industries venture in agriculture, fostering the economy of a nation. The agricultural sector has dominated the developing economies of a nation and therefore contributed to the national income. Also, agriculture is the primary source of the food supply of all countries. Due to population pressure, the demand for food products increases ( Doerpinghaus, 2018) . Therefore, the food and agricultural sector is of significant importance to the growth of a country. The agricultural sector earns the country's foreign exchange by exporting the agricultural products; it creates the demand for agricultural products in the non-agricultural sectors by marginalized communities owing to the purchasing power in the market. The sector also provides a surplus in the form of savings that is investible in the non-agricultural sector. The food and agricultural sector also plays a huge part in providing employment to the uneducated population who can work in farms and the industries. 

Interdependencies 

There exists many interdependencies on the Food and Agricultural Sector by many other sectors. These interdependencies are examined throughout the country in other sectors. Examples are such as the infrastructure sector; the agriculture sector contributes to the resilience of the infrastructure sector with concern to the economy. The food and agricultural sector contributes to the development of the transport system. The agricultural products are transported to reach specific areas of the country for various purposes like consumption and as raw materials to various industries ( Doerpinghaus, 2018) . The most common mode of transportation is the use of road transport. It leads to the development of the economy, which means good transport system facilitates the arrival of the products in time. This minimizes the losses, therefore, boosting both the infrastructure sector and the food and agriculture sector. Interdependency on the food and agricultural industry is the healthcare and public health sector. A significant contribution to the healthcare sector is directly focused on the people to improve their feeding habits. The poor people from the marginalized community suffer from nutritional diseases such as diabetes and malnutrition among the children. The agricultural sector generates revenues that fund the healthcare sector. The agricultural sector helps in the emergency sector in planning and preventing epidemics. Some of the emergencies that face a country are such as, drought and famine, floods, and on rare occasions, fire breakouts. The agricultural sector provides food that will be dispatched in the affected areas. It also helps in planning ahead in case of an emergency. 

Asset Prioritization 

The revenue generated from the food and agriculture sector is used for many purposes; some of the funds are allocated in irrigation services. In order to maintain the continuous production of agricultural products, the farms are to be maintained in good shape despite the climate change that might affect productivity. The financial assets are also used in funding research development. Research has to be conducted in the agricultural sector to improve the productivity and quality of the products. Many institutional facilities and research centers have come up to research on factors that may affect the agricultural sector ( Doerpinghaus, 2018) . Some of these factors include the diseases mostly transmitted by insects affecting the farms and the possible prevention method and cure for the already affected areas. Specific conditions for an increase in the farm produce. The country depends on the agricultural sector and, therefore, the need to research the sector to ensure a constant supply of food to the population. Also, the funds are allocated to salaries; agricultural sector provides employment opportunities to both skilled and unskilled labor. Many laborers on the farm and the industries are dependent on the sector for their    daily income. 

Continuity of Operations Measures 

To manage the productivity of the food and agricultural sector; measures are taken to enhance the efficiency of this sector. The many strategies formulated are such as, increasing the workforce in the farms and industries. By expanding the labor, there will be many people employed by the agricultural sector, and this plays a significant role in eradicating poverty. Also, allocating funds to the research and development programs ( Doerpinghaus, 2018) . It will boost the productivity of the researches, whereby many methods and solutions will be discovered that will enable the sector to grow and support the country economically. Many programs that create awareness on the benefits of agriculture are set up to educate the people on good feeding habits. Increasing the food demand in the market also increases the income in the agricultural sector; these measures are aimed at increasing the productivity of the food and agricultural    sector. 

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting From an Attack 

The community contributes to the development of the food and agriculture sector. They play significant roles like participating on the researches conducted by the sector. They are also obliged to attend the conference and agricultural shows to gain knowledge on large scale farming and the maintenance of those farms. The citizens should also avoid poor farming methods and give priority to the recommended farming techniques that increase the productivity of the farms. The marginalized communities are able to adopt a balanced diet to eradicate nutritional diseases that will slow their labor in the farms. All these are the citizens’ role in ensuring the stability of the economy of the country through food and agriculture sector. 

Healthcare and Public Health 

The healthcare and public health sector is basically among the most important sectors of the critical infrastructure in the United States. The sectors are responsible for ensuring that the various diseases do not cause significant harm to the citizens. The sector does this by conducting researches on disease prevalence, developing medications for the identified disease, and providing knowledge services to the citizens on how they can avoid falling victims of the illnesses ( Homeland Security, 2007). The healthcare and public health sector is responsible for ensuring positive health and works hand in hand with other sectors in enhancing constant improving on the quality of care services delivered to the American citizens.  

Interdependencies  

There exist a substantial interdependency between the healthcare and public health sector and other sectors of critical infrastructure of the United States. The dependence of the sector on other sectors is aimed at improving the quality of care service delivered to American citizens. The sector significantly relies on the communication network sector for recording, storage, and dissemination of healthcare information. All three activities are of great importance to the healthcare environment as they facilitate research, which is essential in improving healthcare services as well as maintaining high-quality medical services delivery. Through the electronic Healthcare Recoding system, medical errors and accidents have been substantially reduced, and this I a great improvement in the quality of medication as patent satisfaction and other healthcare goals are achieved. Healthcare and public health sector also rely substantially on the food and agriculture sector. Agriculture supports healthcare through availing food resources that are important for positive living and health improvement. Without the agriculture and food sector, healthcare and public health goals cannot be achieved. Healthcare and public health sector recommend healthy lifestyles which entail healthy eating behaviors, which rely on the productivity of the food and agriculture sector.  

  Asset Prioritization  

Healthcare and public health sector prioritize funds on various operations. The first area of asset prioritization in the sector is on research. Research is an important element in the sector as it enables for the realization of better treatment approaches as well as identification of diseases and their respective control strategies ( Homeland Security, 2007).    The sector also prioritizes on technological development following its vast importance in promoting the quality of healthcare services delivered. Prioritization on education technology and communication at large is of great importance as it enables for the easy and effective conveyance of the medical information to the various stakeholders. Also, with advanced technology and communication networks, there is a substantial likelihood of accurate recording and communication of findings of medial researches performed by various medical research institutions.  

Continuity of Operations Measures 

The healthcare sector is increasing the intensity of healthcare institutions as a strategy for improving the availability of care services to the United States citizens. Similar to the other sectors of critical infrastructure of the United States, an increase in the number of healthcare institutions in the country enables easy access by all the citizens of the country, regardless of their geographical resources. Secondly, there is an increasing availability of telemedicine, which helps in accessing the individuals in need of healthcare services but are far from medical institutions ( Homeland Security, 2007) . This is also aimed at availing medical services at relatively cheaper costs. Additionally, healthcare and public health sectors are concentrating on professional training services, which ensure that the medical services are delivered by highly trained professionals.  

Considerations for Life and Property Resulting From an Attack 

While the strategies that are in place are much effective in enhancing continued improvement in the healthcare environment, the citizens and the government should ensure they set up strategies for avoiding the extreme impacts of healthcare issues by proper selection of insurance services to fund medication bills. The citizens can also support the department by following the instructions on healthy lifestyles recommended by the sector to limit the rate of infections. 

Summary 

Critical infrastructure sectors are, therefore, vital for the wellbeing of the citizens of the United States. The healthcare and public health, food, and agriculture, and emergency service sectors play critical roles in ensuring that the country maintains its high stance compared to its counterparts. The sectors provide healthy and happy living among the American population and are maintained irrespective of the various challenges that arise. The improvement strategies in place are supportive enough to ensure their continuity of operation. The citizens, who are the key stakeholders of each of the sectors, should also consider adopting positive and supporting behaviors that will ensure the success of the sectors. 

References 

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (2019, April 23).  Emergency services sector – Continuity planning suite . Homepage | CISA.  https://www.cisa.gov/emergency-services-sector-continuity-planning-suite 

Doerpinghaus, J. (2018). Classifying Interdependencies in the Food and Agriculture Critical Infrastructure Sector. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4662&context=etd 

Hemme, K. (2015). Critical infrastructure protection: Maintenance is national security.  Journal of Strategic Security ,  8 (3), 25-39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26465242?seq=7#metadata_info_tab_contents 

Homeland Security. (2007). Public Health & Healthcare Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan as input to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (Redacted).  Department of Health and Human Services .  https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/cip/Documents/healthssp_08_508.pdf 

Moteff, J. (2005, February). Risk management and critical infrastructure protection: Assessing, integrating, and managing threats, vulnerabilities and consequences. Library of Congress Washington DC Congressional Research Service. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL32561.pdf