U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas has issued a statement following President Joe Biden's signing of the National Security Memorandum (NSM), an action aimed at safeguarding critical American infrastructure.
"Our nation’s critical infrastructure consists of the systems and services upon which Americans rely in their daily lives. From the banking system to the electric grid, from healthcare to our nation’s water systems and more, we depend on the safety and defense of our critical infrastructure as a matter of homeland and national security," said Mayorkas. "President Biden’s new National Security Memorandum empowers the Department of Homeland Security to lead our government’s efforts, alongside our Administration partners, to better confront the increasingly complex and frequent threats facing our critical infrastructure. Together, we will ensure America remains vigilant, secure and resilient."
According to a White House news release, protecting critical infrastructure through the NSM will help ensure that the economy remains robust and aid in mitigating disasters before they occur. The objective is to foster coordination between DHS, Sector Risk Management Agencies (SRMAs), and other relevant federal departments and agencies. This includes law enforcement and the intelligence community, which is essential for ensuring national unity.
The NSM aligns with Biden’s administration initiative 'Investing in America Agenda', according to another White House news release. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $448 billion to over 51,000 infrastructure projects and stimulated $825 billion in commercial investments in industries including clean energy manufacturing, clean power, and biomanufacturing.
According to this news release, the country’s infrastructure projects are among some of the most coveted targets by nation-state actors seeking to harm the American way of life. In an effort to make America’s infrastructure more robust, proactive measures can be taken should infrastructure be targeted during an event or crisis—a cornerstone of homeland defense and security.
