Critical Infrastructure Protection

Critical Infrastructure Protection
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Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical infrastructures entail assets, systems, and networks vital in expediting the effective operation of critical sectors, such as public health, safety, and economy in a country. As a result, any form of disruption on the vital infrastructures might have a catastrophic impact on the country’s assets. According to Beckner (2021), the interconnectedness between critical infrastructures increases their vulnerability to cyber threats, physical attacks, and natural disasters. Therefore, the government ought to collaborate with policymakers to mitigate threats that exploit the nation’s infrastructures. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) protects the United States’ critical infrastructures against different attacks. However, the agency collaborates with federal and security agencies to streamline the nation’s security. While critical infrastructures are primary targets of cybercriminals, federal agencies and homeland security collaborate to address various threats.
The United States focuses on protecting critical infrastructures to enhance preparedness and response to incidents that might compromise vital operations. According to the reading materials' findings, identifying threats is vital to strengthening security while protecting essential infrastructures from threats (Beckner, 2021). Afterward, key stakeholders facilitate recovery to restore the integrity of the affected infrastructures. Prevention and planning are fundamental aspects of protecting critical infrastructures from different attacks. DHS prevents the entry of illegal immigrants and goods as one of the ways to avoid compromise of critical infrastructures.
The United States’ critical infrastructures, such as information technology, telecommunications, healthcare, banking/finance, and the energy sector, rely on modern technology to execute essential operations. Therefore, the security of the vital services is critical to prevent disruptions and insensitive disclosure of unauthorized information. According to the materials, key agencies and security stakeholders need to collaborate to protect the country’s vital services. The findings in the reading materials reveal strategies to safeguard critical infrastructure as one of the essential aspects of national security (Gheorghe et al., 2018). A key finding in the materials is that the DHS utilizes all-hazards and risk-informed approaches to safeguard critical infrastructure. As a result, the agency expedites accessible security processes while protecting civil liberties in such a case.
According to research findings, protecting critical infrastructures entails wide-ranging efforts to rebuild and replace vital services and systems. According to Maglaras et al. (2018), cybersecurity is crucial for enhancing critical infrastructures' protection against possible threats. Notably, the online aspect of the United States’ critical infrastructures has grown in importance. For the financial sector, people utilize digital platforms in various transactions. Therefore, financial institutions should uphold cybersecurity, such as strong passwords, antivirus s...