Critical Infrastructure and Resilience

The nation’s critical infrastructure consists of sixteen essential sectors that make daily life possible. Any threat to these sectors, whether natural or manmade, could potentially debilitate U.S. homeland security, economic security, public health or safety. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) coordinates with public and private sector partners to help strengthen the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure through technical innovation. S&T's tunnel plug is tested in a test tunnel.

Advances in automated technology, such as sensors, Internet of Things and cybersecurity protections can help those responsible for protecting critical infrastructure sectors more efficiently understand potential threats, run diagnostics, predict potential changes in their systems and strengthen the security and resiliency of these critical infrastructure systems. S&T manages DHS’s Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, which provides liability protections for these organizations and technologies. In addition, S&T sponsors the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute Center of Excellence, which collaborates with industry, DHS and other federal and state agencies to understand resilient infrastructure systems, application of critical infrastructure in the real world, building the business case for resilience, and the future of resilience.

From looking at how we detect and protect against the dangers of solar flares and helping communities predict storm surge and prepare for and respond to floods to helping improve the cybersecurity of the nation’s finance and energy sectors, S&T strengthens critical infrastructure security and resilience across multiple sectors through technical expertise and targeted solutions.