Critical Infrastructure Security and Policy - Report Example

? [Critical Infrastructure Security and Policy] Introduction USA being the most powerful is obliged to look over on the chaos and destruction occurring around the world. In the preservation of peace in place of war or conflict, the USA has been paying a big price for this involvement in other countries. This involvement diverts the infuriation of terrorist (possessed different entities) start to assuming USA as their foe. This is the reason there have been many threatening speeches and the acts by some state and non-state actors that have made the USA government shivered to some extent or sometimes firmly. It certainly has grabbed the USA government attentions onto it and made them obliged to take some instantly grave actions in order to prevent the impact of resulting turmoil. CFR's latest Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) lists insecurity in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, an Iranian nuclear disaster, and an amplification of the European sovereign debt crisis among the most important international unforeseen event relative to U.S. national interests that has ultimately shaped as a frightening threat to the USA. Let us examine carefully all the threats that have been experienced by the USA and see the reason behind every threat (Chertoff, 2009). The outburst of Cyber Attacks Countries that attack the United States China Russia There are two countries in particular that have recently advanced their cyber attacks on the United States because of their new revival into the global economy, China and Russia. The United States had publicly accused both China and Russia of recent attacks that the United States had experienced. This recent attack from China exposed that China was aiming 48 different defense corporations from the United States, United Kingdom, and Bangladesh (Kim, 2011). This has been an enduring theme from China, who is trying to achieve information and blueprints from countries that have better more advanced technology than they do themselves. While Russia doesn’t attack the United States as repeatedly as China does, simply because Russia doesn’t have the hackers available to attack a defense shield as the United States has, they are getting an abundance of practice on the former countries part of the Soviet Union (energy. Gov, 2012). Along with different countries that use cyber attacks to target the United States there are also terror groups that are starting to use cyber attacks and also other groups seeking to chop into government systems to gather information. It is predictable that with the physical defense of countries growing especially the United States, that terrorists which rely on cyber terror attacks on the United States rather than physical attacks because it is now much convenient and effective to shake the United States dominance via cyber attacks. Threats to control systems can come from various resources, including antagonistic governments, terrorist groups, annoyed employees, and malicious burglars. To guard against these threats, it is essential to construct a secure cyber-barrier around the Industrial Control System (ICS). Now the USA digital infrastructure is vulnerable. Yet the Department of Defense can’t do everything on its own. Corporations that don’t shield themselves are putting both their bottom lines and national security at threat. Yes, cyber security standards are an imperfect response to a weird and dangerous new kingdom of conflict. At the moment, though, they’re the only thing eminence between us and the abyss (Johsen, 2011). Al Qaeda threatens to USA The fact that a catastrophic attack against America equivalent to 9/11 has not occurred over the past 11 years should not recommend that a future one is not being designed. In summer 2006, al Qaeda-linked functioning in London schemed to explode liquid explosives on board 10 transatlantic airliners flying from the UK to America and Canada. In September 2009, Najibullah Zazi and his acquaintances were detained for plotting to carry out a suicide violence attack against the New York City channel system. This is the reason why, Al Qaeda has raised a latest hazard to achieve 'earth-devastating, appalling and frightening attacks on the U.S. and Europe, it has evolved nowadays. In redistribution on a jihadist website, the shocking group alleged the approaching strikes' would be focused the 'heart of the ground of non-belief' as well as nation assisting France in its cleaning on insurgent in Mali. The anonymous writer declared that the attacks would be collected and lone-wolf procedure, in adding to the use of booby-trapped automobiles. U.S. officials say they have considered the threat critically (Johsen, 2011). The Ansar al-Mujahideen association has expanded dependably accurate party line posts from Al Qaeda and its members in the history. U.S. counterterrorism has blocked main attacks by Al Qaeda over the previous ten years. The efforts also followed down the terror group's originator, Osama bin Laden, who was a gunshot and eradicated by the particular forces inside a built-up compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May, 2011. But officials notify the group prolongs to be unsafe, as was revealed previously this month when Al Qaeda gunmen blizzards a gas plant in Algeria in a captive disaster that escorted to the demise of 37 foreign workers. Some 29 of the captives-takers also died, while three were imprisoned by Algerian troops during a Special Forces mission to end the four-day face-off which had been carried out in retribution for the Mali operation (Evera, 2011). US SCADA system attack In November 2011, Russian hackers accused to have been behind an attack on a water utility station in Springfield, devastating a pump after in advancing illicit entrance to the system. The Reuters Newswire implies that the hackers achieved access to the systems of a vendor of SCADA control systems and then exploited the knowledge gained – possibly practicing the use of default IDs and password in order to attack and wipe out the Illinois water pump system. “Some report covering this confrontation also affirms that the water utility had experimented repeated glitches in remote access to its SCADA system over a period of two to three months. However, it gives the impression there was no system in place to hook up the irregular network activity, as the attack clearly achieved its purpose”. The functions of water systems being remotely compromised by a hacker that seem senseless, as our society depend on water for factories and everyday routine chores such as washing and bathing. And indeed, everyone drinks water, so the prospect of our household or office water supply being swamped with chemicals - released all together by the hackers (Wilson, 2007). Hence, another threat is evident in the history of the USA which is purposely done by Russians to harm USA citizens through poisoning water. Additionally, the department disputes declarations in the synthesis center report that an infrastructure-control software vendor was hacked previous to the water utility interruption in order to acquire user names and passwords to break into the utility company and devastate a water pump. Hence, this threat has been remembered till now or will be for sure by the USA as it had scattered the chaos very deeply in every American’s mind. NATO, the most frightening Military pact in History, terrorize USA  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the most terrorizing military coalition, with the most violent power, ever envisioned in the history of the USA. Today, it is a severe threat to Latin America and the Caribbean. The Latin American and Caribbean countries are unconscious of the dreadful threat that NATO signifies for the survival of USA’s people. Even USA leaders look to believe that NATO is far from their sub-region and thus does not cause a real threat to peace in the subcontinent. They often forget that Latin America and the Caribbean were stated to be zones free of nuclear weapons and they also overlook that every U.S. military base established in our country is potentially a NATO military base. This is a real danger that threatens the lives of USA peoples (sandia.gov, 2012). It is understandable, and yet no less guilt, that wherever there is a U.S. military base, there is an inevitable danger of domination and aggravations against civilians and progressive governments that generally end in takeovers. The NATO summit in Chicago, which did not contain our region on its agenda, drives a warning about possible deployments and interference in any geostrategic freedom in the world. NATO exercises the prospective for terrorist threats as one of its pretexts for defending its self-preservation or collective protection (dodcio.defense.gov, 2012). The Latin Americans and Caribbean’s cannot disregard that the U.S. base of Palmerola, Honduras, was the medium of U.S. support for the coup that conquered President Zelaya; and they should not stop thinking about that the Pentagon and the CIA were involved in the planning and effecting of the fast-track coup that removed President Lugo in Paraguay. And now we are well acquainted with that one of the causes was the colonists need to have a military base in Estigarribia, “to control the Triple Border.” Gutierrez Esparza says, at the international level, the dissolution and isolating of NATO are crucial in order to contribute to international security, regional and national stability, democracy and peace. NATO means further wars. It has never been, nor ever will be, an organization for shield and security. It is only a military alliance created to impose the will of Western elites (TISP.org, 2009). USA made the commitment: The International Network No to War – No to NATO, the Latin American sphere for International Studies (Mexico) and the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (Argentina), had planned a conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Intercontinental Conference “Peace, Disarmament and Social Alternatives – Against Global NATO,” on the 13 and 14 December 2012, which had focused on NATO’s global policies and strategies and its implications for the Global South, especially in Latin America, as well as the alternative political, social and human policies offered by the Global South for tranquility, safety and the surroundings (sandia.gov, 2012). Transnational Crime Defense and Law Enforcement companies in the United States of America view international illegal networks as challenges for security. These factions cause imbalance and can become threatening to government organizations by dishonesty and crookedness and administrations have been known to say “Global criminal agencies have gathered exceptional affluence and power through the medicine deal, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, and additional prohibited behaviors. They pull out their access by creating an association with rebel group, government representatives, and a number of state protective services.” Even the sharp and refined observation technology of the United States of America is not capable enough to answer to this combination. (fincen.gov,2010) Nukes Large quantities of nuclear weapons stored by the United States have been known to invoke other nation states or aggregations that are headstrong in attacking the United States of America, officials have insisted time and time again. Trade that takes place in black markets that deals with highly susceptible nuclear materials is a meticulous cause of apprehension for the United States security organization. “The panorama that Al-Qaeda or some other terrorist association might get hold of a nuclear machine corresponds to an instantaneous and intense danger to global safety measures”, a supervision report has been known to state. Sadly, there are no high tech sensors in place that can help split up black markets, discover and interrupt nuclear equipment that are in motion from one place to another by any means and there are no economic tools that can disorganize this highly hazardous business. An imbued effort to discover radioactive materials at the ports of the United States by the Department of Homeland Security has been chased by technological inefficiency. Researchers consider that a nuclear weapon will be almost impracticable for a group like Al Qaeda to make and a more plausible situation would be that they made a low acquiesce “dirty-bomb” that may be fashioned with just a small number of grams of radioactive substance (Chertoff, 2009). The Way to Reduce Terrorism The concern concerning Pakistan is that some associates of the armed forces may provide a nuclear missile to a terrorist organization or if President Musharraf were defeated and an Islamic fundamentalist administration came into power, a situation of commotion in the country may facilitate and propel terrorist in getting their dirty hands on a nuclear warhead. They may also acquire HEU from over 130 research reactors across the planet that uses HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) as a source of fuel. In the worst case scenario of terrorists obtaining a nuclear weapon, they may use any means possible in attempts to fetch them into the United States of America. This country has a huge area which is covered with miles of land and sea boundaries, and a number of hundred ports of entrance. Terrorists may smuggle a nuclear warhead across evenly protected elongate of borders, get it at the border using a cargo container, put it in a crude oil tanker or bring it into the country by means of a wagon, a ship or a small plane (Wilson, 2007). The structural layout of the United States answer is called “covered defense” and their goal is to endeavor and stop terrorists at multiple stages in their effort to acquire a nuclear warhead and smuggle it into the country. The fundamental idea is that the likelihood of achievement is greater if multiple layers are utilized in blocking out the terrorists rather than just a one or two. Layers have danger reducing course in the former Soviet Union, procedure to protect HEU worldwide, organization of previous Soviet and other borders, the Container Security proposal and Proliferation Security scheme, and the United States Border sanctuary. A number of approaches lie beneath these numerous layers, like expertise, aptitude and forensics. A number of guiding principle options have also been projected to hinder or act in response to nuclear violence, like emerging newer state of the art detection technologies, strengthening the capability of the United States intelligence and improving planning that responds to attacks. Congress finances programs to counteract nuclear violence and holds investigation and less reserved briefings on the topic. Multiple Members have proposed bills in this regard. Gun Assembly Weapons need to be cut short as well. The Hiroshima Bomb, according to a source, was 8,900 pounds and was 10 feet long having a diameter of 28 inches. 17 times the size and power of that was taken up by a strong tough covering and stabilizing fin, in addition to by arming, fusing, and firing procedures. The gun drum of the nuclear explosive mechanism was 6 feet in length and 6 inches in diameter and was a half ton in weight. Upgrades may minimize the size and weight of the nuclear warheads and a terrorist made explosion weapon or a weapon that is stolen from a nation’s weapon store could be lesser in size. Overall, a nuclear weapon could fit in an automobile, a boat or a small airplane or even utilize a small area of a delivery container (fincen.gov, 2010). Conclusion It will certainly not be an easy task for terrorists to carry out a nuclear attack on the United States of America, however an attack of a violent nature is comprehensible and an action like that will have devastating results that may render in reality the death of over a million people at a single time. Villain states may get hold of a nuclear weapon in multiple ways, the country that are of the most concern as a likely source of armaments resources are Russia and Pakistan. Russia has a number of strategic nuclear warheads, which have weaknesses that enables them to be lesser in yield but are more detached and thus makes them far less protected than tactical weapons. Russia also has greatly developed uranium (HEU) and plutonium that is a weapons grade standard. If terrorists get their hands, by somehow by passing extremely protected state owned nuclear facilities, construct a nuclear bomb from HEU. Judgment however, is divided if terrorists can make examine by means of plutonium. References Chertoff, M. (2009). National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from dhs.gov: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NIPP_Plan.pdf dodcio.defense.gov. (2012). The DoDAF Architecture Framework Version 2.02. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from dodcio.defense.gov: http://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/DODAF/DoDAF_v2-02_web.pdf energy.gov. (2012). energy.gov. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity: http://energy.gov/oe/technology-development/energy-delivery-systems-cybersecurity Evera, S. W. (2011). Why U.S. National Security Requires Mideast Peace. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from web.mit.edu: http://web.mit.edu/cis/pdf/Audit_5_05_VanEvera.pdf fincen.gov. (2010). Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from www.fincen.gov: http://www.fincen.gov/news_room/rp/files/18thMonthLookbackReport.pdf Johsen, W. T. (2011). carlisle.army.mil. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from Information Operations Primer: http://www.carlisle.army.mil/dime/documents/AY12%20IO%20Primer%20FINAL%20CD.pdf sandia.gov. (2012). SCADA History. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from sandia.gov: http://energy.sandia.gov/?page_id=6972 TISP.org. (2009). A Shortlist of Reported SCADA Incidents. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from CIP Vigilance: http://ciip.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/a-list-of-reported-scada-incidents/ Wilson, C. (2007). Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberwar Capabilities and Related Policy Issues. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from fas.org: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL31787.pdf Read More