Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy,

Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy,
and Implementation
John D. Moteff
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
July 11, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL30153
Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy, and Implementation
Congressional Research Service
Summary
The nation’s health, wealth, and security rely on the production and distribution of certain goods
and services. The array of physical assets, functions, and systems across which these goods and
services move are called critical infrastructures (e.g., electricity, the power plants that generate it,
and the electric grid upon which it is distributed).
The national security community has been concerned for some time about the vulnerability of
critical infrastructure to both physical and cyber attack. In May 1998, President Clinton released
Presidential Decision Directive No. 63. The Directive set up groups within the federal
government to develop and implement plans that would protect government-operated
infrastructures and called for a dialogue between government and the private sector to develop a
National Infrastructure Assurance Plan that would protect all of the nation’s critical
infrastructures by the year 2003. While the Directive called for both physical and cyber protection
from both man-made and natural events, implementation focused on cyber protection against
man-made cyber events (i.e., computer hackers). However, given the physical damage caused by
the September 11 attacks, physical protection of critical infrastructures has received increased
attention.
Following the events of September 11, the Bush Administration released Executive Order 13228,
signed October 8, 2001, establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security
Council. In November 2002, Congress passed legislation creating a Department of Homeland
Security. Among its responsibilities is overall coordination of critical infrastructure protection
activities. In December 2003, the Bush Administration released Homeland Security Presidential
Directive 7, reiterating and expanding upon infrastructure protection policy and responsibilities.
In June 2006, the Bush Administration released a National Infrastructure Protection Plan. This
Plan presents the process by which the Department of Homeland Security intends to identify
those specific assets most critical to the United States, across all sectors, based on the risk
associated with their loss to attack or natural disaster, and then to prioritize activities aimed at
maximizing the reduction of those risks for a given investment. In 2009, the Obama
Administration released an updated version of the Plan. For the most part, the Obama
Administration continues to follow the basic organizational structures and strategy of prior
adminstrations