ABSTRACT
Maintaining awareness of infrastructure security has been a core mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since the creation of the department in 2002. The National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) consolidated multiple aspects of this mission by bringing evolving knowledge of physical and cyber vulnerabilities, as well as efforts to address these vulnerabilities, under a single organizational umbrella. Per DHS’s designation, NPPD is the lead component for government-wide critical infrastructure security and resilience. NPPD has significant responsibilities in the field of cyber security. NPPD includes the Federal Protective Service (FPS). Originally part of the General Services Administration, FPS is responsible for protecting and executing law enforcement functions at federal facilities. The creation of NPPD and the ongoing internal reorganization of the directorate’s components has formed a unified approach to infrastructure protection, by aligning awareness of physical and cyber vulnerabilities. NPPD complements its responsibility for vigilance through initiatives to mitigate vulnerabilities.
