Three Homeland Security agencies to watch.

• Author: O'Keefe, Tomas
• Position: CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

* On Feb. 12, 2013, the Obama administration released Presidential Policy Directive - Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, more frequently referred to as PPD-21, which tasked the Department of Homeland Security with the lead responsibility of protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.

Over the last two-and-a-half years, the department's strategy in defending the United States has developed considerably, and the role of DHS has begun to crystalize.

PPD-21 assigned DHS as a sector-specific agency for half of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors. While in theory this might mean a significant amount of responsibility will fall on DHS, in reality it is important to make a distinction about what DHS does and does not do in the realm of critical infrastructure protection. Most critical infrastructure sectors are not owned or operated by the federal government but instead, by private industry. Government does not purchase products nor offer extensive services to protect those sectors directly.

This doesn't mean that opportunities at DHS for critical infrastructure support don't exist. It just means that products specifically addressing critical infrastructure protection aren't the ones that can be sold directly to DHS. So while cyber security tools are of interest to DHS for its own operations, there is little point in trying to use it as a vehicle to sell cyber security tools to private industry.

Focus should instead be on supporting DHS' Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Science and Technology Directorate and the National Protection and Programs Directorate.

FEMA trains communities at the state, local and tribal levels to respond to disasters. FEMA also provides grants to rebuild communities after floods, hurricanes, wildfires and so on. For the agency, logistics and supply chains are of critical importance because of the need to quickly respond to emergency scenarios. Engaging with FEMA means being able to support the agency in preparing first responders and other disaster professionals before tragedy strikes, or supporting its supply chain and logistics operations so it can adequately respond in a timely fashion.

The Science and Technology Directorate studies risk-based approaches to cyber security that could be of interest to critical infrastructure sectors. It is a research-oriented organization that looks toward the development of tools and technologies to help better protect critical infrastructure, both from an...