Traditionally, November kicks off a season of gratitude as we look forward to gathering with loved ones at Thanksgiving. It is also Critical Infrastructure (CI) Security and Resilience Month, a commemoration of the systems and structures in place to ensure our nation and communities remain safe and thriving. Here are some of the ways the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has committed to improving resiliency against various threats.
We are executing some of the largest infrastructure investments in U.S. history.
As the emergence of new technologies and more complex local and global threats face our nation’s CI, S&T is investing in research and development to modernize these vital lifelines and ensure they remain functioning and resilient.
S&T's Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Research (CISRR) Program was born out of the landmark 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which tasked the Directorate with conducting research, development, testing, and evaluation in five targeted strategic mission areas. The need for increased CI protection is further emphasized in the recent National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience issued by the White House in April and strategic guidance issued by Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas in June.
From this month, CISRR is more than halfway completed, and we continue to advance on the massive infrastructure investment by tapping into the latest science and technology innovations addressing key CI needs. Stay tuned to S&T’s LinkedIn throughout November for a new series of vignettes demonstrating how CISRR is leveraging IIJA funding into impactful results.
We are revolutionizing energy solutions in remote Arctic communities.
Increasing sea ice, coastal erosion, environmental hazards, and other challenges could cause power outages in remote facilities in the formidable Arctic region. To power those facilities during maritime traffic spikes or natural disasters, S&T is working with the brand new Arctic Domain Awareness Center-Addressing Rapid Changes through Technology, Innovation, and Collaboration Center of Excellence, led by the University of Alaska at Anchorage, on the Reliable Arctic Power & Intelligent Energy Resilience (RAPIER) project.
The RAPIER team will collaborate with rural communities to identify energy needs and renewable energy options (solar, wind, wave, tidal, run-of-river, and nuclear) and propose a deployable pilot solution and an optimal energy portfolio for Department needs, including electric vehicles and boats. RAPIER will ultimately help DHS effectively react to life-altering contingencies quickly and better prepare local electric grids.
We are securing against Positioning, Navigation, and Timing threats.
Critical operations like the electric grid, communication networks, and financial institutions rely on Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services via the Global Positioning System (GPS). However, GPS is susceptible to disruption, like interference, jamming, and spoofing, that could cause safety-of-life issues or CI failure. To better understand those threats, the CISRR Program is collaborating with industry, manufacturers, and other partners to develop actionable best practices, standards, frameworks, and tools. These products will maximize robust, strengthened, and resilient PNT solutions designed for CI owners and operators, technology manufacturers, and service providers.
We are defining telecom supply-chain risks for self-driving and wi-fi/5G communicating vehicles and smart transportation systems.
As CI increasingly relies on real-time communications for monitoring, operations, and control, telecommunications infrastructure becomes essential for functionality. For five years, the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) Center of Excellence has collaborated with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the risks of the 5G telecommunications supply chain, focusing on connected and automated vehicles and smart transportation systems. Outcomes will include a risk assessment tool and a comprehensive risk assessment model for 5G telecommunications disruption on road-side units and its impact on self-driving vehicles.
We are building the resilience and security of drinking water systems.
Recent cyber-attacks on our public water systems demonstrate the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity. To address this, CIRI created the Cyber Secure Dashboard (CSD) to help businesses and enterprises, such as water systems, enhance their cybersecurity posture. CSD uses the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cyber Security Framework (CSF), an easier and cheaper way for organizations to meet cybersecurity standards. CIRI is also developing a NIST CSF Profile for Public Water Systems, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to be integrated into the CSD tool.
We are collaborating with industry to boost emergency interoperability.
Public safety professionals, emergency managers, state and local government leaders, and other key stakeholders must be able to exchange actionable and timely information to meet their missions head-on.
Last month, S&T hosted an Industry Day to highlight another CISRR-funded effort—the Information Sharing Framework (ISF)—which is addressing interoperability gaps and establishing a mechanism for prioritized information sharing between first responders and emergency communications technologies during incident response. The outcome will be a framework for practitioners to design their systems to securely share data across systems.
We are strengthening physical security at major events.
As domestic terrorism concerns for our nation and infrastructure grow, there is a greater need to enhance crowded places security to keep civilians safe, particularly during special events. In February, S&T’s Physical Security Program deployed the Ready Armor Protection for Instant Deployment (RAPID) barrier at the 2024 NFL Honors Event, which protected the venue and attendees from potential harm from vehicle ramming or homemade explosives. Then, at the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 race in May, S&T tested, demonstrated, and enhanced the Deployable Expedient Traffic Entry Regulator (DETER) vehicle barrier, which protects critical assets and civilians from vehicle ramming attacks. S&T successfully gathered valuable data about RAPID’s and DETER’s durability and operation to further improve the security and resilience of future special events.
Visit our Research and Development pages for even more examples of S&T’s ongoing CI work and follow us on social media @DHSSciTech.