Welcome to Course 1. CS4950 Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. This course will examine the history of homeland security and how it relates to cybersecurity. Homeland security concerns protecting the United States against domestic catastrophe destruction. There are two types of catastrophic destruction: man-made and natural. The man-made variety was a form of war, which required the combined resources and resources of several nations for most of human history. March 20, 1995 was a turning point. Members of a Japanese quasi-religious group attacked the Tokyo subway system with Sarin gas on that day. This was the first time a non-state actor had used a weapon to cause mass destruction. Small groups and individuals now have the power to cause destruction that was once only available to nations. This incident was a wake-up call for all governments. Non-state actors were able to take down defense establishments that were designed to protect against rogue states. Overnight, the potential enemies multiplied by a hundred or even a thousand. The United States took steps to defend itself against WMD attacks by non-state actors in response to the Tokyo Subway Attacks. These measures were in place when the nation was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Nineteen hijackers caused as much destruction on September 11, 2001 as the Imperial Japanese Navy did on December 7, 1941. The 9/11 Commission investigated the attacks and noted their "surpassing disproportion". WMD effects were achieved by hijackers without actually using WMD. This was done by subverting the nation's transportation infrastructure and turning passenger jets into guided bombers. The security implications were grave again. As the nation was surrounded with critical infrastructure, non-state actors could not import, manufacture, or acquire WMD to inflict domestic destruction. It was not lost on anyone that critical infrastructure was vulnerable. In 1996, President Clinton appointed a panel to examine the threat to America's infrastructure. This was in response to the attack on the Tokyo Subway. In 1997, the panel stated that there was no immediate threat against US infrastructure but they were concerned about cyber attacks. These cyberphysical systems, which fueled the rapid growth of the Internet, were also being integrated into Industrial Control Systems. They are the backbone of much of the nation's critical infrastructure. The panel observed that cyber attacks on the infrastructure of the country were becoming more common. In 1998, President Clinton ordered protection of the critical infrastructure of the United States, including from cyberattacks. In the 2002 Homeland Security Act, which established the Department of Homeland Security, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection were both designated core missions. While they remain core missions, many people don't see the connection. It is clear that cybersecurity is crucial to protecting critical infrastructure, which is vital to homeland security, which is all about protecting the United States against domestic catastrophe destruction. I look forward working with you over the next lessons. All the best and all the luck
Course 1: Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Connect Course 2: Cybersecurity policy for water and electricity infrastructures Course 3: Cybersecurity policy for aviation and internet infrastructures Course 4: Homeland Security & Cybersecurity Tomorrow
