President Biden has signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure, replacing a decade-old policy and initiating a robust protective strategy against all contemporary and future threats. The NSM coincides with significant funding initiatives under the President’s Investing in America Agenda, which aims to harness the transformative potential of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to future-proof American infrastructure.
Under the NSM, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is mandated to lead a whole-of-government effort, with the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency designated as the National Coordinator for Security and Resilience. This initiative includes the development of a biennial National Risk Management Plan by the DHS, which will outline strategies to mitigate risks to the nation’s essential services.
The memorandum also integrates efforts from the U.S. Intelligence Community to enhance intelligence sharing across federal, state, and local entities, and with private sector partners who manage much of the nation’s critical infrastructure. This is a strategic move to solidify defenses against both state and non-state actors that might target critical U.S. systems.
A significant financial commitment has been highlighted, with the Biden-Harris Administration announcing the allocation of $448 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, supporting over 51,000 projects. This includes substantial investments focused on enhancing the resilience of transportation and other infrastructure, critical in countering the effects of climate change and other emerging threats. Notably, $50 billion is earmarked for infrastructure resilience, with initiatives like the $8.7 billion PROTECT program, which aims to bolster transportation systems against potential disasters.
The NSM emphasizes the importance of establishing baseline security and resilience standards across critical sectors. It reaffirms the designation of 16 critical infrastructure sectors which are:
- Chemical
- Commercial Facilities
- Communications
- Critical Manufacturing
- Dams
- Defense Industrial Base
- Emergency Services
- Energy
- Financial Services
- Food and Agriculture
- Government Facilities
- Healthcare and Public Health
- Information Technology
- Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
- Transportation Systems
- Water and Wastewater Systems
Each will be paired with a Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) possessing the expertise to manage sector-specific risks and enhance coordination efforts.
This strategic directive arrives at a time when global challenges from adversarial nation-states and the impacts of climate change increase the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. The NSM is crafted to ensure that U.S. infrastructure not only withstands such adversities but also adapts and thrives, securing the economic and security interests of the nation for future generations.
The initiative represents a proactive approach to national defense, emphasizing resilience as a cornerstone of homeland security and underscoring the government’s commitment to safeguarding the American way of life against a spectrum of risks and challenges.
