Conference

There are 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety.

Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21): Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience advances a national policy to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure. This directive supersedes Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7.

We must be prepared!

The Nation’s critical infrastructure provides the essential services that underpin American society. Proactive and coordinated efforts are necessary to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure – including assets, networks, and systems – that are vital to public confidence and the Nation’s safety, prosperity, and well-being.

Critical infrastructure must be secure and able to withstand and rapidly recover from all hazards. Achieving this will require integration with the national preparedness system across prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

This directive establishes national policy on critical infrastructure security and resilience. This endeavor is a shared responsibility among the Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) entities, and public and private owners and operators of critical infrastructure (herein referred to as “critical infrastructure owners and operators”). This directive also refines and clarifies the critical infrastructure-related functions, roles, and responsibilities across the Federal Government, as well as enhances overall coordination and collaboration. The Federal Government also has a responsibility to strengthen the security and resilience of its own critical infrastructure, for the continuity of national essential functions, and to organize itself to partner effectively with and add value to the security and resilience efforts of critical infrastructure owners and operators.

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Americas will bring together leading stakeholders from industry, operators, agencies and governments to collaborate on securing North America.

The conference will look at developing on the theme of previous events in helping to create better understanding of the issues and the threats, to help facilitate the work to develop frameworks, good risk management, strategic planning and implementation.

• Chemical Sector • Dams Sector • Financial Services Sector • Information Technology Sector
• Commercial Facilities Sector • Defense Industrial Base Sector • Food and Agriculture Sector • Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
• Communications Sector • Emergency Services Sector • Government Facilities Sector • Transportation Systems Sector
• Critical Manufacturing Sector • Energy Sector • Healthcare and Public Health Sector • Water and Wastewater Systems Sector

Why the Need for Such a Discussion?

All Federal department and agency heads are responsible for the identification, prioritization, assessment, remediation, and security of their respective internal critical infrastructure that supports primary mission essential functions. Such infrastructure need to be addressed in the plans and executed to the requirements of the National Continuity Policy.

The ever changing nature of threats, whether natural through climate change, or man-made through terrorism activities, either physical or cyber-attacks, means the need to continually review and update policies, practices and technologies to meet these demands.