ABSTRACT
How information sharing will play an even increased vital role within and throughout the transportation system Current methodological and legal issues impeding the sharing of information Methods for implementing response and mitigation and recovery of the system if it is degraded or compromised
Evolution, in the words of Charles Darwin, involves the survival of the species most suited to its environment. Th ough his origin of the species focused on biological entities, the same may be said for the systems that protect a critical infrastructure. Changing operations, integration of new technologies, and streamlining of processes along with the rotation of personnel within the organization all aff ect the processes that drive the mission forward. As a result, they have an eff ect on the criticality of certain persons, objects, facilities, information, and activities. Th e changing geopolitical world, arguably more fl uid now than during the cold war, leads to an evolving threat environment where various threat agents are not content to simply wait for the environment to change but also will attempt to identify and exploit vulnerabilities to accomplish their aims. Changing market pressures, ranging from regulations to competition, lead to the need to adapt mitigation strategies and procedures to realign with their environment. In essence, a critical infrastructure protection (CIP) program that does not integrate a learning system
•
•
•
is bound to be eff ective for a limited period but will, if remaining stagnant, expose the organization to an increasing level of risk as time progresses. Like any security-or risk-based program, as people change so do systems and how they integrate with each other. Th e learning and awareness processes must be fl exible and responsive to sociological, political, and economical changes; otherwise, all of this will be for naught. To quote Albert Einstein, “Th e only source of knowledge is experience.”
