Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure encompasses the essential systems and assets that are crucial to the functioning of society. These include, but are not limited to, transportation networks, energy grids, communication systems, and water supply systems. The incapacitation or destruction of any of these critical components could lead to severe consequences, such as threats to national security, significant economic disruption, deterioration of public health, and compromised public safety. As such, safeguarding these infrastructures is vital to maintaining the stability and resilience of communities and the nation as a whole.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recognizes 16 sectors or categories of infrastructure that are considered critical to the nation.

• Chemical Sector
• Commercial Facilities Sector
• Communications Sector
• Critical Manufacturing Sector
• Dams Sector
• Defense Industrial Base Sector
• Emergency Services Sector
• Energy Sector
• Financial Services Sector
• Food and Agriculture Sector
• Government Services and Facilities Sector
• Healthcare and Public Health Sector
• Information Technology Sector
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector
• Transportation Systems Sector
• Water and Wastewater Sector

FEMA divides these categories into "lifelines".  enables the continuous operation of critical government and business functions and is essential to human health and safety or economic security) FEMA uses to discuss essential systems within response and recovery operations. Both the sector and lifelines constructs can be used to consider infrastructure dependencies.

The NIMSAT Institute has worked directly with multiple state and national organizations to analyze the critical infrastructure of roads, levee systems, etc.