Critical Infrastructure Protection

Critical infrastructure (CI) is not only essential for the successful functioning of governance and society, it is a critical element to homeland defense and security. A power grid functioning at full capacity, an operational and expansive communication network, a streamlined and efficient transportation system, and water infrastructure delivering clean and affordable water free of pollution are all necessary toward ensuring national security. The United States has identified 16 critical sectors that serve as vital assets, systems, and networks. Instability in these systems could have a debilitating impact upon the economic security and vitality of the nation. Prioritizing the physical, operational, and virtual condition of these systems and ensuring their resilience will foster a sense of confidence and promote a culture of sustainability. This podcast will explore these matters and offer potential suggestions to increase critical infrastructure resiliency.

Critical infrastructure (CI) is not only essential for the successful functioning of governance and society, it is a critical element to homeland defense and security. A power grid functioning at full capacity, an operational and expansive communication network, a streamlined and efficient transportation system, and water infrastructure delivering clean and affordable water free of pollution are all necessary toward ensuring national security. The United States has identified 16 critical sectors that serve as vital assets, systems, and networks. Instability in these systems could have a debilitating impact upon the economic security and vitality of the nation. Prioritizing the physical, operational, and virtual condition of these systems and ensuring their resilience will foster a sense of confidence and promote a culture of sustainability. This podcast will explore these matters and offer potential suggestions to increase critical infrastructure resiliency.

In this webinar, Professor James Giordano of Georgetown University Medical Center, and Senior Fellow in Biosecurity, Technology, and Ethics at the US Naval War College describes the uses and value of big data and cyber-capabilities in bioscience and biotechnology; addresses the national security, intelligence, and defense applications of these tools and methods; illustrates vulnerabilities in these systems' infrastructures and functions, and posits the importance and necessity of bio-cybersecurity as a multi-organizational posture and enterprise.

The Defense Science Board has identified energy as one of the main enablers of future military operations and has noted that military energy usage could grow significantly in the near future, outpacing improvements to alternative energy sources.  In March of 2020, the Pentagon issued several contracts to facilitate a design work “competition” for mobile, small nuclear reactors and the winning prototype will potentially be forward deployed with forces outside the United States.  The project is managed through the Strategic Capabilities Office’s “Project Pele” which was formed to ensure the safe development of mobile and advanced nuclear microreactors for a variety of DoD missions.  Desired features for the new reactors include quick set-up, shut-down, and the ability to facilitate rapid movement by road, sea, air, or train.  This prototyping project will ensure that critical functions remain operational regardless of the status of the local power grid and allow users to combat physical or cyber espionage from weak grids.

The second installment of this two-part podcast continues the conversation with Dr. Thornton on disaster emergency response and recovery. In this part of the series, Dr. Thornton discusses the difference between social production of disasters and disaster social constructs, the etiological difference of disasters, and recommendations to ensure optimal response and recovery.

In part one of this two-part podcast, HDIAC analyst Amber Garvey interviews Dr. Tonya Thornton, the Director for Extramural Projects at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The discussion begins with Dr. Thornton defining terminology used to describe and classify disasters today.

This presentation will report on recent analysis of the turn-on speed and dI/dt capability of the n-type SiC thyristors as compared to previously reported 15 kV SiC IGBTs and 15 kV p-doped SiC thyristors. Performance metrics will be described as power density vs. switching frequency and power transmitted vs. power dissipated within the device.

This webinar discusses the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's ongoing work to ensure energy security and resilience in today's interconnected and interdependent world. NREL is working to incorporate intrinsic security in evolving technologies and is proposing evolutionary approaches to making energy and communications systems resilient to a disruption, no matter the cause, and having the ability to identify, detect, respond, and recover in large part on their own.

In part two of this two-part podcast series, the conversation shifts to the rise of electrification and the intersection of the electric vehicle industry and the Department of Defense. Dr. Hart and Dr. Robyn also discuss the battery supply chain, touching on issues with foreign sourcing and production, as well as how best to educate the next generation about building toward sustainable energy solutions.

In part one of this two-part podcast series on Battery Technology and Impact on National Security, Dr. Hart and Dr. Robyn overview drivers of battery innovation and how the needs of both warfighters and military installations shape the Department of Defense's role in creating energy storage solutions. The future importance of different energy storage technologies that are currently in use is also discussed.

This presentation focuses on the role of communication, coordination, and collaboration for critical infrastructure resilience. The webinar will discuss the increasing importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships - across the public, private, and academic sectors - in promoting resilience within and across the four increasingly interdependent critical infrastructure sectors: energy, transportation, water, and communications.

Dr. Tonya Neaves interviews Dr. J.P. Auffret and Dr. Paul Houser regarding changes in the energy supply chain and implications for national security. The discussion includes an overview of the critical importance of reliable energy, the push toward renewables, emerging threats to the power grid, challenges specific to the Washington, DC region, and considerations for building stronger energy resiliency.

Responding to today's nuclear threat environment requires a commitment to developing technologies that enable effective deterrence, detection, survivability, and dominance in the nuclear domain. This presentation provides an overview of the evolving mission of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in nuclear technology research and development. The current nuclear threat environment and DTRA's resulting top priorities will be discussed. The presentation will also review relevant new technologies and their applications to the warfighter.

Securing our critical infrastructure is vital to national security. This presentation demonstrates techniques that can be used to detect cyberattacks or equipment failures. A typical industrial control system is used as an example, with data collected to monitor and control the system. Data science techniques to prepare the data for machine learning will be analyzed. Various machine-learning approaches used to detect anomalies due to cyberattacks or equipment failures will be demonstrated and their efficacy discussed.