Chapter 3: Security and Critical Infrastructures

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Overview

In February 2003, DHS published The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets, which outlines national goals, objectives, and principles to help physically secure critical infrastructures. The success of the strategy is dependent on steps that public and private entities across the country will take to improve security. This chapter examines the implications of this strategy for IT managers responsible for securing and maintaining IT assets and facilities as well as providing IT support to departments that are responsible for providing physical security, disaster-recovery planning, and business-continuity planning. Areas covered include the following:

• Identifying critical national-infrastructure components

• Treating security improvement as a process

• Leveraging technology for security at a national level

• Applying the national strategy at the organizational level

• The security-improvement process in the organization

• Leveraging technology for security at an organizational level

• Integrating the organizational and national strategies

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