Teaching Infrastructure
Security with a Public Policy
Focus: The UMUC Experience
Sgt. Mark Landahl, CEM®
Frederick County (MD) Sheriff’s Office Adjunct Professor, Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementSteve CarterAcademic DirectorFire Service Administration, Homeland Security, Emergency Management
Motivational Speech on the EM/ HS Divide
Literature: Infrastructure Course Development
There is limited literature on the development of curriculum for infrastructure security courses. In their 2006 article, Baker and Little describe the development of an interdisciplinary course on critical infrastructure systems at James Madison University. Although interdisciplinary in description, much of its theoretical underpinning remained in the realm of computer science and engineering (Network Science & Complex Physical Systems). (Baker & Little, 2006)
Naval Postgraduate School Curriculum• Publically available curriculum
has theoretical underpinnings in network theory and computer science.
UMUC and IS Course Development
• Considerations for Course Development
UMUC Student Profile
Homeland Security (HMLS) Degree Program Outcomes
UMUC - HMLS Program Outcomes
• P1. Lead, manage, motivate, and develop others to establish and achieve strategic and operational homeland security goals and interface with internal and external audiences.
• P2. Manage technology and information for the protection, response, and recovery of critical infrastructure/information in a hostile or emergency environment.
• P3. Navigate public or private organizations' financial, personnel, legal, and political information to identify, evaluate, and address the organizational needs, requirements, and resources.
UMUC - HMLS Program Outcomes
• P4. Thoroughly research, critically analyze, and synthesize complex intelligence information using various methods to formulate risk assessments and responses to emerging threats.
• P5. Communicate, negotiate, and educate strategically and tactically across cultural boundaries with diverse audiences within homeland security.
• P6. Write concise and succinct policy, planning, and procedure documents for a variety of audiences to support homeland security operations.
UMUC Approach to teaching IS
• The approach appropriate for UMUC frames infrastructure security as a political response to a specific public problem. The focus is on the political dynamic of diverse stakeholders in the development and implementation of public policy for infrastructure security and resilience.
• The desired outcome is that students develop the ability to critically assess the current policy environment in order to design solutions and compare alternatives for a future of effective, efficient, responsible, and equitable infrastructure security policy.
HMLS 408: Course Outcomes
1.Describe critical infrastructure and key resources and how they interrelate in order to develop and implement policy to secure and maintain public safety and national security.
2.Assess threat, risk, and vulnerability and recommend protective measures.
3.Analyze the historical, political, and legal influences on the development of infrastructure policy.
4.Examine methods to share information among all levels of government, the private sector, and the international community.
UMUC Course Structure
• Four Content Modules Module 1: Infrastructure Security in the United
States―A Historical Perspective Introduction to Critical Infrastructure: What
Makes Infrastructure Critical? Infrastructure Security in Early America: The
Founding to the Progressive Era (1770s–1920s) Infrastructure Security Issues in Contemporary
Conflict: World War II and the Cold War Modern America: The Policy Response to
Terrorism—Oklahoma City to 9/11 (1995–2001)
Policy Interventions in the Private Sector
Reason For Regulation DescriptionAccess to Service “Universal access has been perceived as a desirable social goal for
several reasons: it provides the basis for economic growth, increases the standard of living, and generally brings the benefits of our social investment in infrastructure to the largest possible population.” (ANL, 1997, p. 3)
Market Power In infrastructures such as gas, electric, and telecommunication regulation has been imposed to control “natural monopolies that develop. It is improbable and not in the public interest for electric and telephone lines from different companies to be strung all over the country, so the government regulates by sometimes “granting franchises to serve particular areas, thus assuring the company of demand, and at the same time regulating prices so as to protect the captive consumers from the effects of monopoly pricing.” (ANL, 1997, p.4)
Safety Another factor that historically drove development of regulation is concern over safety. Power lines, pipelines, water supplies, railroads, airlines, etc. all carry the potential for disaster if not built, maintained and operated correctly. The community has an interest in ensuring that the companies performing these activities have the technical competence to manage their facilities in a safe manner. Thus, specifications for equipment, installation, operating practices, and employee qualifications became a common purview of infrastructure regulation. (ANL, 1997, p.4)
National Security Some sectors have been regulated out of concerns for National Security. These include restrictions on the sale of weapons technology and other systems that may be of use to our enemies. These industries are also required to maintain certain security standards to reduce the potential for theft of secrets.
UMUC Course Structure• Four Content Modules
Module 2: Critical Infrastructure Protection—Strategy and Policy in the Post-9/11 Era
Threats to Infrastructure: Terrorism and Beyond terrorism/crime natural hazards technological failure human error cyber threats deterioration
Infrastructure Security: Post-9/11 U.S. Strategy and Policy Legislative Action Executive Policy (HSPD-7/ NIPP, Strategy Documents,
etc.)
UMUC Course Structure• Four Content Modules
Module 3: Managing Risk―Assessment and Countermeasures
Risk Management Tools: Varying Methodologies
Assessing the Risk to Facilities: Utilizing the FEMA Risk Assessment Process
Minimizing Risk: Redundancy and Security Countermeasures
UMUC Course Structure• Four Content Modules
Module 4: Infrastructure Security―Continuing Challenges Infrastructure Security Challenges
Size and Scope of Infrastructure Sectors Information Sharing Interdependencies Balancing Public and Private Concerns: Regulation vs.
Market Solutions Case Study: Airport Security Actions v. Chemical
Sector Regulation Methodology Terrorism vs. All-Hazards Approach Federalism
International Issues Cargo Security Case Study
Course Summary
UMUC Course Structure• Course Deliverable
The paper should show an understanding of the sector including the structure, function and policy environment (including the regulatory structure) as well as any identified potential threats against the sector and/ or, and vulnerabilities that have been identified. Any changes to sector regulation in the post 9/11 era should be discussed. The second element of the paper is to research a historical incident that impacted the sector. This research should describe the incident, its impact on the sector and identify any “lessons learned” from the incident that have implications for infrastructure protection and resiliency. Finally, you should make recommendations about how you would propose to increase protection or resilience of this sector (to derive and/or change specific strategies for security, for example). The finished product including the three elements of the paper should be approximately 10 – 12 pages in length.
Infrastructure Issues in EM Programs
• Emergency Management Programs 10 EM Core Competencies (Blanchard,
2005) #2 Administrative, Management, Public Policy
Knowledge, Skills and Principles #6 Subject Matter Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities – Theory, Principles, and Fundamentals of Hazards and Disasters
Interdependencies, particularly technological and infrastructure
#8 Technical Skills and Standards Ability to clarify choices, tradeoffs, costs and
benefits of alternative loss-reduction strategies, so as to improve decision-making by households, businesses, community officials, owners of critical infrastructure facilities, and other stakeholders
Infrastructure Issues in EM Programs
• Emergency Management Programs Emergency management leaders require
a higher level of understanding of risk management, cost-benefit analysis, land use planning, terrorist strategies and counter-terrorism programs, critical infrastructure protection, vulnerability assessment processes, and other areas that would enable a leader to advocate effectively for the application of preventive measures. (Woodbury, 2005)
Comments & Discussion
QUESTIONSCOMMENTS DISCUSSION
Contact Information:Sgt. Mark Landahl, CEM® - (301) 898-0363E-mail: [email protected] Carter - (240) 684-2875E-mail: [email protected]
