What's My Lane? Identifying the State Government Role in Critical Infrastructure Protection

Abstract

What constitutes an effective Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) protection program for Massachusetts This study evaluates existing literature regarding CIKR to extrapolate an infrastructure protection role for Massachusetts. By reviewing historical events and government strategies regarding infrastructure protection, Chapters I and II will provide scope and context for issues surrounding critical infrastructure. Chapter III reviews the roles of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, possibly the two most influential organizations tasked to support the federal infrastructure protection initiative. Chapter IV analyzes the private-sector role in infrastructure protection as articulated in federal strategies, academic research, federally directed studies, and professional journals. The National Infrastructure Protection Plans framework for managing the risk to CIKR will be used as a guide in Chapter V to evaluate the infrastructure protection strategies of Arizona, Virginia, and Washington. Finally, Chapter VI recommends that Massachusetts develop a state infrastructure assurance program vice a Critical Infrastructure Protection Program. Concepts such as reframing the critical infrastructure debate, creating infrastructure public/private partnerships and information sharing processes to build trust among the entities invested in ensuring the delivery of infrastructure services are recommended for inclusion in a state infrastructure assurance strategy and subsequent infrastructure assurance program.