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Week 3 Case Study 2 Submission Essays

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Week 3 Case Study 2 Submission
Asa J Opie
Sec 310
Professor Nerove
Strayer
7-20-2014

Week 3 Case Study 2 Submission A critical infrastructure is defined as any facility, system, or function which provides the foundation for national security, governance, economic vitality, reputation, and way of life. (http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NIPP_InfoSharing.pdf)In short, critical infrastructure is by definition essential for the survival of the nation. The USA PATRIOT Act specifically defines critical infrastructure as "systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, (Jena Baker McNeill and Richard Weitz, 2010) so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating …show more content…

First of all, one could base the concept in notions about the value of human life. This asset value approach is usually taken when the idea of "continuity" is considered. The way it's usually put is by saying that the continuity, or continued operation, of a critical infrastructure is essential for the maintenance of human life and/or the maintenance of some standard of living that people have become accustomed to. The continuity of critical infrastructure is essential to avoid panic and hysteria during the impact of a disaster. Every day, a person's life is shaped or affected in some way by one or more critical infrastructures. Life, as we know it, is not possible without critical infrastructures, and they are all connected together in a "system of systems" where failure in one can cascade into a failure of all. This line of thinking is not only important to authorities who want to make sure that life stays worth living, but it is also the hope and dream of terrorists to find that one small chunk in the armor which makes the whole house come down. (Jena Baker McNeill and Richard Weitz, 2010) In other words, terrorism represents the ultimate "anti-continuity." Yet, others approach the concept of infrastructure as representing those things indispensable for cultural purposes. This is the thinking behind identification of

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