Critical Infrastructure Protection - Assignment Example

However, what is clear is that the intelligence agencies failed to protect the country from such catastrophes. To prevent such attacks in the future and to ensure that America becomes a secure country to live in and do business, George Walker Bush, undertook a proactive move that led to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. The move to establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was informed by the need to protect the U.S. against terrorism as its main mission, according to the White House (2003).

DHS has 22 different federal agencies charged with different roles aimed at ensuring that the country is safeguarded from terrorist threats. The fact that DHS had 22 different federal departments made it the third largest Federal department in the country. Operation and responsibilities of the DHS The responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security as far as prevention and emergency response are concerned are four folds. The first major responsibility of DHS is safeguarding the United States by preventing terrorism and enhancing national security (Charvat, 2012).

According to the White House (2003), safeguarding the U.S. and its citizens from terrorism was the cornerstone for its formation, following the 9/11 incident. The 9/11 incident exposed the country’s vulnerability to terrorism of whatever kind. Therefore, in response to the incident, the then president, George Walker Bush found it necessary to form an independent department responsible for safeguarding the country from terrorist threats. The DHS is also responsible for securing the U.S. borders.

In fulfilling its mandate of safeguarding the country against terrorism, DHS also focuses on the prevention of unauthorized importation, acquisition, or use of nuclear, biological, and chemical materials and capabilities within the country’s borders. In addition, the DHS is responsible for safeguarding the U.S cyberspace from attack by malicious actors. Further, the DHS is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the country’s resilience to disaster (Filippini, Giannopoulos, and Schimmer 2012).

Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) initiatives The U.S. critical infrastructure consists of power plants, highways, cyber networks, bridges, telecommunication, banking, water system financial institutions, emergency services and transport system, both government and private that are critical for the effective and efficient functioning of the country. These critical infrastructures have become vulnerable to attack by terrorists in the past decades. As such, the DHS has a responsibility of identifying, evaluating, and protecting these critical infrastructures from acts of terrorism, sabotage, or disasters.

Therefore, the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) initiatives are measures and techniques developed to protect the country’s critical infrastructures from terrorist attacks, sabotage, or disasters. The critical infrastructures protected in this case include physical assets, people, and cyber system that are important for the development of the country (Filippini, Giannopoulos, and Schimmer 2012). The DHS in conjunction with other security agencies ensures that America’s critical assets are protected from terrorism, disasters, and sabotage by ensuring the U.S. borders are safeguarded.

Securing borders in this case implies the