Essay Example on Critical Infrastructure: Safeguarding Vital Assets for National Security

For the past years, threat actors have continually targeted organizations in the energy, utility, and different sectors categorized under the state's critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure, as Roe and Schulman (2015) defined, refers to systems, assets, and networks that are of paramount importance, and their continued operation is crucial in enhancing security in a nation, its economy, and the public's safety. Protecting the critical infrastructure of a state entails safeguarding vital resources such as transportation and food. Notably, it is the role of every government within a nation to protect the infrastructures against natural disasters, terror activities, and cyber threats that are rampant in this digital era. Primarily, this article analyzes the critical infrastructure of California. Specifically, the paper discusses utilities and transportation infrastructure, which are barred by intensive challenges and vulnerabilities that influence their performance hence signifying the need for the existence of a critical infrastructure protection unit in California.

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In a bid to safeguard the critical infrastructure in California, the state has a Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) whose role is to regulate privately-owned public services such as telecommunications, natural gas, water corporations, and electric power (Roe & Schulman, 2015). The CPUC regulates electric and natural gas services functioning in the region by defining the rates that consumers should pay for electricity and natural gas, managing pipelines and storage places for the natural gas. The commission also ensures that the water consumed by the people in the state is clean. The CPUC has the task of licensing, registering, and processing the rates that water companies should impose on the people. The CPUC registers and processes tariffs for telecommunications companies in the region.

The CPUC has to deal with an array of threats and vulnerabilities to the utilities. The growth of the telecommunication industry in the region will continue to be a risk area that threat actors could exploit in the future (Alcaraz & Zeadally, 2015). The advent of new technologies will continue to expand the cyber-attack cases in the region. Threat actors will continue exploiting cyber vulnerabilities in the electrical grid of California. Importantly, the present challenge facing the CPUC is the blackouts that endanger public health and safety, particularly for the people in hospitals. Alcaraz and Zeadally (2015) stipulated that it would be improbable for the commission to be aware of the vulnerabilities and threats facing the utilities at all times. However, the lack of cyber-security staff and resources in the state inhibit the state and the commission to identify cyber assets and comprehend the system and network constructions essential for facilitating cyber-security assessment, upgrades, and monitoring.

The growth of California has prompted increased travel from one household to another and improved business activities. Environmental stressors are the main vulnerability facing transportation systems in California. Extreme storms and excessive heat affect the systems adversely by inhibiting transportation. In California, the transportation infrastructure, which includes rail, roads, bridges, and ports are underfunded. With the rising growth of population and urban activities, congestion is a rampant problem, particularly during peak hours. Roads have become a channel used by terrorists to threaten the economic stability of California. In the recent attack, a shooter shot on passengers on a bus boarded by public members. With the poor state of road and transportation infrastructure characterized by the extensive congestion, terrorists are aiming the highways and rail to attack a region and make demands to the authorities.

The main objective of terror is to fight against particular regimes by scaring the innocent public using a state's systems. In the case of California, road and transportation systems have become a targeted infrastructure for most terrorists. According to Espada, Apan, and McDougall (2017), terror is a strategy used by extremist groups to communicate and change processes brutally. In a bid to solve the challenges facing the transportation network of California, it is suitable for the state leadership to set aside funds aimed at improving the road transportation systems. Primarily, this entails setting up security checkpoints at all boarding places. Some of the security solutions include setting up of smart cameras, the use of sensors, and body scanners. The improvements could increase security in airports, bus-boarding places, and rails.

Asides from that, the state of California could consider the implementation of public-private partnerships. The collaborations should facilitate commuting; enhance improved transit and coordination, investment in transit-oriented development, and development of new transportation infrastructure, as a technique of reducing the increased congestion. Setting aside funds aimed at ensuring improved road transportation would be critical. Specifically, the actions that the state could take include the provision of incentives or private sectors to implement flexible parking and mobility options for their staff members to facilitate commuting hence preventing congestion witnessed at bus stations during peak hours. More so, Espada et al. (2017) suggested the need for a firm leadership in the state that would coordinate urban growth and development around high-speed rails and other intercity transport investments. Improved coordination would help in enhancing security and preventing congestion, which are the main challenges and vulnerabilities facing the transportation infrastructure in California.

Conclusion

In conclusion, utilities and transportation are essential infrastructures in California. Services include electric power, natural gas, communications, and water. The main vulnerability faced by the critical infrastructure protection unit in California is the loss of electrical energy that affects hospitals and public safety. More so, terrorists target both utilities and transportation infrastructure to cause fear and panic among the public to create demands for the state government. Thus, the analysis shows the need for improved and continued protection of the infrastructures to safeguard the region's economy and to protect the people of California.

References

Alcaraz, C., & Zeadally, S. (2015). Critical infrastructure protection: Requirements and challenges for the 21st century. International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 8, 53-66. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcip.2014.12.002

Espada, R., Apan, A., & McDougall, K. (2017). Vulnerability assessment of urban community and critical infrastructures for integrated flood risk management and climate adaptation strategies. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 8(4), 375-411. doi: 10.1108/ijdrbe-03-2015-0010

Roe, E., & Schulman, P. R. (2015). Comparing emergency response infrastructure to other critical infrastructures in the California bay-delta of the United States: A research note on inter-infrastructural differences in reliability management. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 23(4), 193-200. doi: 10.1111/1468-5973.12083