Homeland Security & Corporate America – Responsibilities?

In February the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled a new national strategy for protecting America’s infrastructure.  The report, “The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets” speaks to a variety of issues surrounding homeland security issues, but is extremely clear that the expectation of the Federal Government is that Corporate America will be standing alone in developing their own first line of defense against acts of terrorism perpetrated against their own facilities.  Although alluding to a partnership with DHS and assistance by the Federal Government in the aftermath of terrorism, there is no well founded expectation from this latest report that any private entity will be the recipient of the Homeland Security funding package that may ultimately be approved by Congress.  This excerpt from the executive summary of the report reinforces that thought:

“Private Sector Responsibilities

The lion’s share of our critical infrastructures and key assets are owned and operated by the private sector.  Customarily, private sector firms prudently engage in risk management planning and invest in security as a necessary function of business operations and customer confidence.  Moreover, in the present threat environment, the private sector remains the first line of defense of its own facilities. Consequently, private sector owners and operators should reassess and adjust their planning, assurance, and investment programs to better accommodate the increased risk presented by deliberate acts of violence. (emphasis added)  Since September 11, many businesses have increased their threshold investments and undertaken enhancements in security in an effort to meet the demands of the new threat environment.”

 The executive summary continues by identifying the private sector’s risk analysis of dollars spent on security versus the actual return, accurately stating this assessment is based on good intelligence information from DHS or local law enforcement authorities

 “. . . the private sector naturally looks to the government for better information to help make its crucial security investment decisions”

However, the prudent business person will read further and make their own determination whether the reliance upon the Fed for assistance with private security issues will fall short or miss the target completely by providing them the information they need.  

“Similarly, the private sector looks to the government for assistance when the threat at hand exceeds an enterprise’s capability to protect itself beyond a reasonable level of additional investment.  In this light, the federal government will collaborate with the private sector (and state and local governments) to assure the protection of nationally critical infrastructures and assets, provide timely warning and assure the protection of infrastructures and assets that face a specific, imminent threat: and promote an environment in which the private sector can better carry out its specific protection responsibilities.”

 Planning now for the security you may need later hedges the bet that the Government may or may not be there for you in your time of need.  Businesses that deal with the integral infrastructures mentioned in this report should prepare before the fact.  Palmer Security Consulting can assist you in determining the proper threat assessment and the proper response today.  We welcome your inquiry.

Ron Palmer, CPP, Owner
Palmer Security Consulting