For each of the 16 Critical U.S. Infrastructure sectors and key resources (CIKR), do the following:Identify 1–2 local examples of critical infrastructure.Briefly describe the examples, and explain how

The Key Resources and Infrastructural Sectors in the US

Critical infrastructure and Key Resources are required to achieve national development goals and economic growth. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21), identified sixteen critical infrastructure and key resources that are interconnected and work harmoniously to achieve economic growth. The vast majority of these critical infrastructures and key resources are under private ownership, operation, and management.

Critical Infrastructure Sectors in the US

 Food and Agriculture sector is the most crucial sector in the US. There are about 2.1 million farmers in the US that are involved in the production, processing, transporting, and storing food. It depends on various sectors, which include the Energy Sector for food processing, Transport Sector for transportation and Chemical Sector for fertilizers, storage, and food additives. It also relies on the Water and Waste Water Systems for cleaning and processing of food. A local peasant or a grocery supplier plays a significant role in this sector. The second most important infrastructure is the Healthcare and Public Health Sector. It protects the members of the public from the outbreak of contagious disease, health hazards at workplaces, and terminal illnesses. Its members work together with the Communications Sector, Information Technology, and Emergency sectors to deliver high-quality, prompt healthcare services. Private community clinical officers help in reaching out to the locals. The last sector in the list of top three is the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector, which ensures an adequate supply of clean drinking water. Besides, it provides the public with a clean and healthy environment by treating wastewaters.

The Commercial Facility Sector is also listed as critical infrastructure. The sector consists of businesses and entertainment centers that are majorly owned and operated by private organizations. These commercial facilities include real estate ventures, sports leagues, retail companies, and media houses, which help in the creation of employment opportunities (Chopra & Khanna, 2015). A local shopping mall is an excellent example of a commercial facility. The financial sector is another vital infrastructure. It helps their customers to deposit their savings and transact payments. They also provide loans and investment platforms. These financial institutions include local banks, insurance companies, and financing institutions.

The sixth critical infrastructure is the Information Technology (IT) Sector, whose key resource cybersecurity software and hardware. The IT sector designs hardware (physical design) and various control systems (software)fo. It also provides internet. The key resource of this sector is the worldwide web. The communication sector, on the other hand, helps in relaying information and assists the IT sector in distributing its services. In the US, for instance, AT&T and Verizon communications offer telecommunication services. Key resources in communication are the internet, radio, and TV. The sector also works together with the Emergency Services Sector, which comprises of personnel, facilities, and systems that help in saving lives (medical emergency), firefighting, rescue operations, and managing crises. A community ambulance falls under this category.

Another essential infrastructure in the US is the Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector. It works in conjunction with the Energy Sector to provide millions of US citizens with electricity and with Health Sector to treat patients with cancer. They Key resources here are the radioactive isotopes utilized. The sector also works with school laboratories on science projects. The Energy Sector provides energy that fuels transportation, household lightening, and manufacturing industries (Alcaraz & Zeadally, 2015). ExxonMobil, for instance, is a gasoline company that offers homes with natural gas and gasoline for millions of automobiles in the US. It is a public company that falls under the Energy Sector. The energy sector also works with the Dam sector to produce electricity. For example, the Oroville dam in California serves both hydro-electric power producers and water storage. 

The Chemical Sector is another vital infrastructure; it supplies a wide range of chemical products, which are either as raw material or as final commodities. It is a complementary sector. For example, it provides agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides for the Food and Agriculture Sector. It also provides the health sector with pharmaceuticals. Some necessary chemicals, such as household detergent, are also produced in this sector (Lopez et al., 2017). The Manufacturing Sector which provides both industrial and domestic electrical appliances such as mobile phones and laptops, heavy machinery, automobiles, and gadgets.

The US government controls the Defense Sector, which is in charge of the production and distribution of weapons. The sector is also in charge of the military and the local police department. Also, the government controls Sector-Specific services, such as the provision of passports and business permits. The sector also provides public utilities.

Terrorism and Cyber-attacks

 Most critical sectors are now remotely controlled using computer networks. Terrorists are more than ever interested in the IT Sector, which unites and control other areas (Brady, 2015). Through cyber-attacks, these terrorists may have access to critical infrastructural systems and access to data and control, which may lead to national security issues.

Conclusion

The Critical Infrastructure Sectors and Key Resources are of utmost national importance. Therefore their interdependence must be valued and maintained for overall national development and economic growth. Protection of these resources from access by terrorists is also vital because the access to these systems may have an adverse effect on national security and economic growth

                                                               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.

Brady, K. R. (2015). Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources: Securing the American Internet in the Digital Era.

Chopra, S. S., & Khanna, V. (2015). Interconnectedness and interdependencies of critical infrastructures in the US economy: Implications for resilience. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 436, 865-877.

Lopez, J., Liefer, N. C., Busho, C. R., & Temple, M. A. (2017). Enhancing critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) level-0 physical process security using field device distinct native attribute features. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 13(5), 1215-1229.