Security Measures For The Port Of Boston Essay

Last night on December 16, a huge disaster occurred in the Boston Harbor. Three British ships, loaded with tea, sailed into the Harbor yesterday night. As the tea sat in the boat, the Sons of Liberty started to make their plan. Later that night, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty called a meeting at the Old South Meetinghouse. All the men tried to convince the governor to send the boats out of the Harbor, the governor refused. His actions caused the men to peruse their idea. The Sons disguised colonists as Indians. After that, the angry colonists quietly headed towards the Harbor. Each colonist had one thing in mind, TEA! As the men got on the ship, they started cracking open the boxes of tea and began throwing it into the British Harbor.

The Department of Homeland Security supplies a national protection plan concerning critical infrastructure security. This plan targets a wide audience, including public and private critical infrastructure owners and administrators. Managing risks through identifying, deterring, and disrupting threats to critical infrastructure is the direct focus of this plan. The ability of an organization to reduce the impact of a threat that has occurred and reducing the impact of one that may occur is essential to an active security posture. Compromise of a critical infrastructure such as oil, airports, or traffic flow management could result in a major loss of life or resources (Department of Homeland Security, 2013).

The recommendations include risk assessments to ensure that efforts are carried out to improve security and security data management to ensure that data is properly handled and disseminated to appropriate agencies and stakeholders. MTS must ensure that all U.S. personnel in domestic and international ports are appropriately trained for their job function. Along with all personnel working at ports, related infrastructure sectors, on vessels, or operating vessels must have proper identification. DHS further recommends developing more advanced security technology to enhance and identify gaps in security. It is also suggested that MTS examine industry, national and international transportation safety frameworks to determine if enhancements would improve MTS security. Furthermore MTS should create and manage a collaborative system of stakeholders to maintain security as well as make efforts to lessen security vulnerabilities. Finally, MTS must constantly amend and improve the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 and the International Ship and Port Facility

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 highlighted the vulnerability to terrorist attacks. The importance of critical infrastructures to the government, people, and organization can be dependent on the vulnerability towards a national disasters, manmade hazards, and terrorist attack. Contemporary standard of what constitutes critical infrastructures has evolved as a wide array of threats has increased in modern times. Critical infrastructures represent aspects of the economy that makes the nation function as a whole and protecting America’s critical infrastructures and key assets presents an enormous challenge to the Department of Homeland Security.

To improve our readiness to combat and battle these threats. In Seattle,there are secure fiber networks being put together to interlink the government and emergency operations. Not only Seattle but many other cities and countries have invested local funds in creating new 911 centers and emergency operation ceters. Worried about these attacks and threats the United States have “hardened” the control networks that manage electricity and water grids. The entire field of cyber security and information technology has a new way of confronting not only terrorist threats but all of the ongoing issues created by hackers and identity thieves. Knowing if America is safer now than in 2001, especially since Bin Laden's death ,the United States will not know. But in not knowing, where, how, or when a threat could be more than just that the United States has become more vigilant and more prepared (Proud To

Cyber security, also referred to as information technology security, focuses on protecting computers, networks, software programs and data from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Post 9/11 and other terrorist attacks, the United States grows its endeavors to repulse cyberattacks, U.S. corporate organizations and the government agencies wind up in strife over how to adjust to new methods of security and privacy. The current state of security measure protocols and privacy policies placed by the US government in cyberspace raises concerns for the 99%. This is due to the recent cyber-attacks on American corporate organization systems and government alike, where their digital information and network infrastructures within the systems were compromised, and personal data was hacked and stolen.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is part of our countries Bill of Rights. The first amendment is perhaps the most important part of the U.S. Constitution because the amendment guarantees citizens freedom of religion, speech, writing and publishing, peaceful assembly, and the freedom to raise grievances with the Government. In addition, amendment requires that there be a separation maintained between church and state.

What are the components that contribute to port security planning, why are they important, and what aspects of security planning are considered in port facility operations?

United States’ national infrastructure are resources that are vital to keep commerce operating. Technology have allowed the governments and the private sector to share vital information with them. The nation well-being depend on each of the critical infrastructures, the big question is on how to maintain all of our infrastructure sectors operative without any problem. There a big wave of threats to our nation and if one of this threads go through, it can created a multidimensional problem to the infrastructure system of the country. The main concerns that exist in protecting the U.S. against any attacks to any U.S. infrastructure and in the same time on how to have a system that work well with other agencies. For example; is important to

There are several resources available to the port Facility Security Officer (FSO) in assessing domestic and international risks associated with terrorism and other criminal activity threats posed to port maritime operations. There are also several things to keep in mind as the FSO when trying to assess these risks. The FSO needs to build rapport with all law enforcement agencies, government agencies, stakeholders and all private security entities within the port. A collaboration of efforts is important in order to mitigate the risks associated with terrorism and criminal activity threats. The FSO needs to utilize risk management process to its full potential and in order to create an effective port facility security plan. Intelligence collection and information sharing is paramount and should be the basis or foundation that the risk assessment and port facility security plan is based off of. Once this information has been gathered it is critical that this information is shared with law enforcement agencies, government agencies, stakeholders and all private security entities within the port. The more people that know the threat the better off the security with in the port will be. It is important for the FSO to understand that intelligence changes day to day and sometime hours to

From this definition, one can reasonably presume that protection of these assets is vital to the well being of the United States and as such is an essential element of homeland security. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2009) I will then provide my assessment on what I feel is working and what could be improved in our Critical Infrastructure. I will finish this paper by giving conclusions and my final opinion on both Homeland Security versus Homeland Defense, and how

The Internet has changed and advanced modern society in unimaginable ways since its conception. Banks, transportation, entertainment, and even power and sewer systems are now controlled and operated through the Internet. This has allowed major improvements to society as a whole. Power is now delivered more reliably, many people can now access their banking information remotely from their phones, shopping can be done completely from the comforts of the home, as well as many other amazing things. All of these things are convenient and helpful, but have exposed American citizens and infrastructure to the new threat of cyber based attacks. These attacks can be directed at American institutions or to the general population. I believe that the threat

The path forward to secure transportation systems from cyber attacks will require broad-based commitments to improve cybersecurity awareness and the use of best security practices by individuals, industries and government agencies. Sector partners should work together to refine assessments of the cyber threats and vulnerabilities, and to assure timely sharing of cyber-threat information with owners and operators. The partners should continue to implement the Transportation Systems Sector’s Cybersecurity Strategy and support initiatives based on implementation of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

A secure transportation system is critical to overall national security from terrorism. Groups or individuals motivated to terrorize or injure people or the economy may well have transportation facilities as a target or a tool. Most assuredly, they would have a transportation element in an overall plan of terrorism. Thus, securing the transportation system is a critical consideration in overall security planning.

Many ports do not have cyber response plans contained within broader risk plans (Kramek). All of the ports studied by Kramek had a dedicated security officer and a dedicated IT staff, but the security officers’ focus usually remained on traditional physical security threats, and IT was a separate and distinct department from security (Kramek). Kramek states, "cyber security threats were not part of the security officer’s response portfolio". Most security officers thought that their IT staff would notify them in some form or fashion if a cyber incident threatened port operations (Kramek). However, when during the response this notification to the security officers would be made is unclear given the lack of written response plans (Kramek). Ports need their IT department to be continually communicating with their security department. This would keep all the staff in the loop on current difficulties and security impairments and allow staff to find a cyber incident before it becomes too bad. Ports need to make sure that they have thorough written response plans in the case of a cyber security incident and that all IT and security staff that will be involved are ready to execute the plan if needed. These plans need to take into account that many industrial control systems are dependent, like many systems at ports and marine terminals, and run off computer networks (Sain). As stated by Bethann Rooney, manager of security for the Port