Role of the Department of Homeland Security in securing the critical infrastructure
The United States will be majorly hit by a coordinated attack that might paralyze the normal operations of its critical infrastructure. The commercial ventures, along with the government agencies, would be severely hit, and the basic IT infrastructure of the firm shall be affected. The issue is severe as the attacks would be organized by China, one of the technologically advanced and powerful nations. The attacks have a direct impact on the satellite communications of the nation, and it will limit the DOD’s communication with agencies located overseas.
The vital mission of DHS is to safeguard the Americans and secure the nation from constant threats by strengthening cybersecurity and responding to emergencies within the stipulated time. It is one of the federal agencies of the United States, and apart from border control, aviation security, and emergency response, it can play a vital role in preventing constant threats from China as well. Therefore, in order to deal with a probable attack, following steps can be taken-
- The secretary of DHS can collaborate with the OMB Director and can assess the risks of each agency. It is outlined in the Presidential Order that DHS can act in accordance with chapter 35 and subchapter II, title 4, U.S Code. After identifying the risks, they can work towards mitigation strategies (Powner, 2005).
- The risk assessment process is followed by the provision of technical assistance, and the assessment should be conducted before and after the incident. The department is supposed to share information with various entities, and it can act in accordance with “Homeland Security Act, 2002 (Bullock, Haddow & Coppola, 2002).”
- The investigation is part of the process, and DHS can investigate the ICT enabled crimes and the harm to intellectual theft, financial theft, and property theft.
- Apart from sharing information with federal agencies, DHS can also share information with the non-federal agencies, including the private sector and state governments. The type of information can be classified from an industry partner, or it can be an unclassified form of information as well.
- One of the goals of the DHS is to disrupt and prevent the increasing number of criminals from the usage of cyberspace. There has been a tremendous increase of sophisticated criminals in the cyber space, and the department can take active steps in enhancing its knowledge regarding computer forensics, cyber tradecraft, and digital investigations.
- The cybersecurity activities can be improved and managed only if the DHS starts integrating useful cybersecurity policy with other planning activities. In order to ensure consistency, the DHS needs to establish a range of internal mechanisms (Getha-Taylor, 2008).
Therefore, it can be concluded that the DHS needs to prioritize various cybersecurity programs and identify gaps in the existing strategies so that it can achieve its cybersecurity objectives and goals. Apart from information sharing, the situation can be tackled by responding to the attacks on time. Cyberspace is one of the vulnerable areas that require immediate safeguarding.