Critical Infrastructure Research Paper

The purpose of the CIKR Research Project is to have you demonstrate your mastery of the course materials and information presented throughout the semester, perform research, and think analytically and critically.

The requirement for the CIKR Research Project is to produce a research paper on one of the 16 critical infrastructure and key resource (CIKR) sectors. The paper is in two parts, and is worth 30 percent of your final grade.

Part I (15 points): Provide a thorough understanding of the sector that you have chosen. At a minimum, your paper include the:

policies that direct and guide the sector
structure and function of the sector
regulatory instruments that determine the standards and procedures; include changes to sector regulation in the post-9/11 era
the vulnerabilities of the sector and its potential threats against
Part II (15 points): The second part of the paper is to research a historical incident that affected the sector. At a minimum, this research should describe the incident and its impact on the sector. It should also identify lessons from the incident that have implications for infrastructure protection and resiliency. Finally, based upon all of the analysis, data, and information resulting from your research, discussions, and conclusions, make thoughtful recommendations about how you would propose changes within the sector to increase protection and security. These recommendations could take the form of new policies, regulations, organizations, and strategies. Be creative and bold.

The finished product must be a minimum of ten (10) double-spaced pages, and adhere to the stated policies for assignments. It is suggested you have a balance between both sections, so that each section is about 5 pages, followed by a conclusion that ties both parts of the paper together.