HLS 6040 Week 2: Critical Infrastructure and Assessing Vulnerabilities

HLS 6040 WEEK 2: CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSESSING VULNERABILITIES
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New York State is home to one of the most populous cities in the United States: New York City. In particular, there is critical infrastructure as well as resources that are potential targets by terrorist groups due to their mission or purpose, symbolism, history, accessibility, recognizability, population density, and proximity aspects. Three key infrastructural vulnerabilities that can be readily evaluated in New York City include:
1 The New York/New Jersey/Connecticut Regional Transit System – Mass transportation is crucial to the people living in New York City as well as to the entire economy of the New York City Urban Area. Mass transportation is also an accessible target to the general public and therefore appears very attractive to terrorist groups. As a result of this, the ultimate security and safety of the mass transit systems is paramount. Without this key regional transit system, the economy and development of the city would stall. This asset falls in the 9-10 scale score in the mission, symbolic value, historically value, accessibility, recognizability, population-wise, and proximity. It is therefore an asset that would cause great fatalities and economic stalling if it were to be attacked.
2 The Port of New York and New Jersey – This is currently the third largest port in the United States; the port carries slightly over $130 billion in both exports and imports annually. This then qualifies it to be a critical infrastructure to the region’s, New York State’s, and also to the American economic vitality. If the port were to be attacked, the economy of the state as well as that of the entire nation would be severely dented. On the MSHARPP/CARVER assessment scales, the mission; symbolic value; historical value; accessibility; recognizability; population; and proximity aspects fall in the 9-10 category. Any at...