Critical Infrastructure Protection
"The nation's critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) include systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating impact on national security, national economic vitality, or public health and safety. Ensuring CIKR resiliency and protection is essential to our security and way of life.

The Department's Office of Infrastructure Protection leads the coordinated national effort to build resiliency and reduce and mitigate risk across the 18 CIKR Sectors, which include such key areas as food and water, energy, communications and transportation systems, and emergency services. Since the vast majority of the nation's critical infrastructure is privately owned and operated, strong partnerships between government and private industry are essential to achieve these shared goals..."