Research Paper on Homeland Security

Introduction

The department of homeland security outlines critical infrastructures as the assets, which offer crucial services that serve as the backbone to the economy and reinforces American society. It is understood that power is multipurpose; power is used in homes, aid transportation, installed in shopping stores and possibly used in communication to get in touch with family and friends. Precisely, such critical sectors include sixteen sectors but of the most critical is the energy sector. With more than 80% of such critical infrastructures in American owned by the private sector, serious and expensive security measures have to compete with some economic considerations (Macaulay, 2016). The latter creates a reality whereby security alone is not always a deciding factor.

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The US energy infrastructure is the one who fuels the economy of the twenty-first century. Without a stable supply of energy, welfare and health are threatened, and thus the American economy cannot work. According to the presidential policy directive number twenty-one, it identifies the energy sector as an exceptionally critical sector because it offers an enabling environment across all the vital infrastructure segments. According to Macaulay, (2016) over 80% of the US energy is infrastructure is privately owned, supplying electricity to businesses and households, supplying fuels to the industries in transportation. Also, they supply other sources of energy which are integral to production and growth across the nation.

After the 9/11 attack on world trade center and pentagon, indicates the great susceptibility of America's organization to the assaults of terrorists and the enormous resultants of not defending them. However, the guerillas were luck to use insufficiencies in America's entire methodology to aviation security and sharing of intelligence. Same vulnerability does exist in all the infrastructures critical to the economy, security, and existence of the nation like energy supplies.

Currently, most of the Americans and the federal government understands that protecting the critical infrastructure does not rest on one level of government. Moreover, the homeland security takes the leading most of those efforts, but the volume of the security needed calls for coordination, the cooperation of both private and governmental-sector boundaries (Baggett & Simpkins, 2018). Satisfactory protection US' important infrastructure and critical assets rest on the capability of local, state and central governments to work together and also the private sector.

The energy sector is believed to be the American's most critical infrastructure sector, which requires maximum protection from both cyber and terrorists inversion. The energy infrastructure is subdivided into three interlinked segments: natural gas, electricity, and oil. According to Wortzel, (2019) electricity section accounts for more than 6413 power plants, with a capacity of 1075 gigawatts of the connected generation. Almost 48% of the electricity produced through combustion of coal, nuclear power plants accounts for 20%, natural gas combustion gives 22%, and the rest is contributed by oil, hydroelectric plants, and renewable sources. The over-reliance of pipelines to spread products across the nation shows the inter-dependency between the energy segment and the transportation system segment.

Reliance on almost all industries on fuel and electric power means that all sectors in a way have some dependency on the energy sector. The energy segment is fully aware of its vulnerabilities and is leading momentous efforts to increase its readiness and planning. Collaboration through industry group has seen a substantial information distribution of best practices all across the sector. According to Farhangi, (2016), most of the sector operators and owners have got wide-ranging experience abroad with infrastructure protection and have of late been keen to focus on cybersecurity.

Why Protect the Sector

The energy sector just like any other segment in the US economy has got its vulnerabilities which needs to be looked-up to avoid attacks. Being the most critical segment, efforts and cooperation from all the concerned departments and government are a key requirement. Government officials and security are concerned about such susceptibilities of the energy sector and possible threats that it faces today and even for the unforeseeable future. There are three categories of threats to the Energy sector as a critical infrastructure (Ton & Wang, 2015). Such threats can be natural like extreme weather, tsunami, and fires. They can also be human initiated like rioting, terrorism, financial crimes, product tampering, and economic espionage. Finally, they can be technical or accidental like power grid failure, hazardous and infrastructure material failure, failure of safety system among other disasters of either commission or omission.

The Vulnerability of the Energy Sector

The famous electricity blackout of 2003 of the northeast was an indicator of the fragility of aging America's computer reliant power grid. The blackout accounted for $5b in lost productivity and nearly left 50m individuals in darkness. Disruption to the nation's supply of energy can translate to security and economic disaster of a great scale. The geographical concentration of US refineries and interdependency of its power grid creates a vulnerability that for sure attracts the attention of terrorists. Ideally, most experts argue that the energy segment is the greatest attractive target to both terrorists and cybercriminals. Even the impact of an unprecedented natural disaster like a hurricane can be unacceptable. The expanding reliance of energy grids on SCADA systems made to automate processes like the generation of power and distribution and the internet interfaces which service the systems build up a vulnerability which is hard to despise. However, the departments concerned in this case (Homeland security and department of energy) are much aware of such vulnerabilities in existence.

In response and mitigation, the department established the national SCADA at Idaho and environmental laboratory to explore and deal with such threats. It is of importance to remember that SCADA systems are never fire-wall friendly and can be subject to slow-down in case of encryption activities and intrusion detection (Wortzel, 2019). The SCADA is so complicated to the point that experts feel insecure about own-inflicted failure which requires no interference from outside. A physical me safety measure has been put in place to avoid cascading power grid failure and burdened redundancy systems. With such inspections in place, the sector is somehow sure of its operations and the possible counter attacks in case of intrusions.

Working With the Department of Homeland Security

Although the private division should be the one playing the key responsibility in safeguarding America's key infrastructure like energy, the weight still lies in the homeland security department. The security's structure serve as the main vehicle in safeguarding and starting communication through all the government ranks and among national agencies. DHS also offers a rationalized and amalgamated style to homeland security which is critical in functioning with the private segment in a bid to protect Energy structure (Baggett & Simpkins, 2018). The integration of critical infrastructure protection and analysis of intelligence provides a more focused agenda compared to an inefficient and disjointed organization that existed previously in the federal government.

The efforts of the homeland security department are helping a lot to make the energy sector among other key infrastructures safe from numerous eccentric extortions of terrorism. The department is betrothed in many critical utilities like serving as principal facilitators and liaison for the synchronization among other sections in the federal, native and state government and also the private segment. DHS has also started to shape and keep a comprehensive current and precise valuation of key assets, systems, and functions at national levels. Similarly, the DHS has started to establish susceptibilities and protective attitudes across the Energy sector. Such assessment is crucial in the evaluation of threats and offering timely warnings to such threatened infrastructures. Such measures build capabilities in the evaluation of preparedness across jurisdictions of the government. Additionally, DHS plays a critical role in working with another state, federal, private sector businesses and local governments to be able to define as well as the implementation of complementary structures and processes of coordination (Baggett & Simpkins, 2018).

Why the Energy Sector Is a Critical Infrastructure to America

At this period of international market uncertainties, one thing that is misunderstood is that the globe is in great need of energy (Oliver & Sovacool, 2017). For that matter, not only energy but at an increasing quantity to support social and economic progress and build better quality life among Americans. However, providing this energy across the state comes with great commitments and responsibilities to develop and use such resources responsibly. Therefore, as a country, America is committed to protecting both the environment and people and also contributing positively economically to the States.

For a developed country like the US, affordable and reliable energy is very key because it can improve and even save lives. Therefore the energy sector is the most critical infrastructure that America can safeguard jealously. Also, the sector is responsible for the support of expanded industries, improve transport, and increase trade and enhance modern agriculture. Therefore, all those are the building blocks that help persons create better lives and escape poverty. Currently, most of the energy that the US uses and the world at large emanates from hydrocarbons with unfinished oil accounting for the principal foundation of transportation gases (Oliver & Sovacool, 2017). Even with those crucial steps in improved efficacy in energy, needs for global fuels is anticipated to rise by almost 25% by 2040. Therefore, with such anticipation of fuels in a decade, the energy sector in the US is a critical infrastructure. All energy production has to increase to meet the expanding demand across the world. All sources of energy are required because renewables alone would not keep up with the existing and anticipated demands.

Economic Benefits

For many years, the energy sector has provided a foundation for the American national economy through the provision of affordable and reliable energy, tax, rewarding jobs, technological innovations, and royalty revenues. Today, every dollar invested in the energy sector creates about eight dollars in economic activity. It is common knowledge that every community in the US has been impacted by oil sands development via the stimulating impacts it has on economic growth and job creation.

Performance in the energy sector is greatly driven by the demand and supply for global energy. Gas and oil producers will thrive well in times of high gas and oil prices but earn less in case the value of the commodity drops. Refiners of oil, on the other hand, thrive from the falling costs of the feedstock to make petroleum products when prices of crude oil go down. Moreover, the sector is very sensitive to political events, which over time are known to drive changes in the oil prices.

Safeguarding Energy Sector

Ultimately, it is the duty of the Department of homeland security, federal and state government among other private machinery (Baggett & Simpkins, 2018). For instance, securing am an element of critical infrastructures that belong to...