Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
expect will be forthcoming. They should also coordinate with the critical external
infrastructure providers to ensure that the robustness and redundancy that they
depend on will continue to be provided. The objective of these coordination efforts
is to ensure that roles for response and recovery from a disruption are understood
by all so that quick and effective measures can be taken when problems occur.
In addition, local and state governments can assist energy facilities in infra-
structure restoration activities. Potential support can come in many areas, such as
maintaining critical spare parts, assisting with special equipment, working with
the emergency telecommunications spectrum, securing easy access to the site of the
disruption for repair crews and needed equipment, working out mutual assistance
programs with other energy providers, and supplying temporary staffing.
The energy facility should also check with local and state governments to ensure
that critical information about their facility, its assets, and its operations will not be
released to the general public in any future additions to public Internet sites, press
releases, or public hearings.
Step 3: Identify and Characterize the Threat
In order to put the information about the critical assets of the energy facility to
use in a quantitative risk assessment, the potential threats and adversaries that may
be expected must be identified and quantified. The set of questions provided in
this section serves as guidance for evaluating the threat environment to which the
energy facility could be exposed and establishing qualitative or quantitative threat
ratings for each critical asset. The goals of the threat assessment are to understand,
from the adversary's point of view, the adversary's capabilities and intent to collect
critical information.
The federal agencies (e.g., Department of Energy [DOE] and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation [FBI]), state governments, and energy industry associa-
tions each collect threat information. This information should be shared among
these groups and with the local energy facilities in order to have the most com-
prehensive and updated threat information possible. In addition, threats to energy
facilities could affect state and local assets. State and local governments have access
to law enforcement and intelligence data. This information should be integrated
and shared, together with any information that the energy industry associations
and energy facilities collect.
This third set of questions is to be used to identify and evaluate the threat envi-
ronment to which an energy facility may be exposed.
Intent and Capabilities of Adversaries
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What types of adversaries are expected?
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Who are the specific adversaries expected?
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What are the specific goals and objectives of each adversary?
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Which are the critical assets that each specific adversary is aware?
