Critical Infrastructure - Perspectives on the Role of Government in Cybersecurity

Since the end of the cold war era (1945 - 1989), the United States government (USG) has been gradually reduced, and in some cases eliminated direct support for the development of critical infrastructure. The reduction of public investment, and the subsequent transfer of critical infrastructure from public to private ownership, has significantly increased the risk not only to critical infrastructure, but to the entire nation. The use of non-isolated, public communication and information technology, without any contingency or emergency backups is a national disaster waiting to happen. The USG must vigorously support - both financially and through active management, policy and regulation - the creation of isolated, secure, and resilient communications and information technology infrastructures, that provide non-public redundancy, thereby ensuring that public communication and information technology failures, as a result of man-made attacks or natural events, do not result in catastrophic outcomes to not only other critical infrastructure sectors, but to the nation at large. This paper surveys historical and contemporary government roles in the development of critical infrastructure, particularly, communication and information technologies, and provides recommendations for how the US government can significantly improve the security and resilience of its current critical infrastructure systems.