Intended to advance a national unity of effort to strengthen and maintain secure,
functioning and resilient critical infrastructure, President Obama’s Presidential Policy
Directive 21 (PPD-21) called on the federal government, via a partnership with the
private sector and led by the Department of Homeland Security, to rewrite the 2009
National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). DHS officially released the final revised
document and several related documents in late December 2013.
The NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience builds on
the effective practices outlined in the 2009 document and reflects input provided by
representatives from each of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors.
Serving as the foundational piece upon which to strengthen the federal government’s
partnership structures, the document outlines how DHS will work with the private sector
using a voluntary framework to enhance the government’s risk management efforts. As
critical infrastructure provides the base for the full range of essential services that
underpin American society, the 2013 NIPP focuses on guiding national efforts to
manage risk. For this reason, DHS plans to leverage the Plan to make securing
infrastructure and enhancing resilience a centerpiece priority.
Though the 2013 NIPP calls for DHS to work collaboratively with the private sector and
state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, it neglects to address a number of key issues,
including cross-sector coordination, information sharing and private sector investment to
advance resiliency. However, it does highlight the need for continued coordination to
advance security and resilience as a means to enhancing overall national preparedness.