ability to resist by attacking key elements of its civilian and military infrastructure. The federal government has developed a standardized description of critical infrastructure, in order to facilitate monitoring and preparation for disabling events. The government requires private industry in each critical economic sector to: Assess its vulnerabilities to both physical or cyber attacks Plan to eliminate significant vulnerabilities Develop systems to identify and prevent attempted attacks Alert, contain and rebuff attacks and then, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to rebuild essential capabilities in the aftermath Infrastructure sectors CIP defines sectors and organizational responsibilities in a standard way: Banking and finance: - The Department of the Treasury is responsible for coordinating the protection of not just systems but also maintaining public confidence, through industry initiatives such as the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) Transportation: - The Department of Transportation is responsible for protecting the road, rail, air, and water transportation infrastructure, including computer-controlled just-in-time delivery systems, optimization of distribution through hubs, and traffic and operations centers that are consolidated into key locations, and regulation of the transport of hazardous materials. Power: - The Department of Energy oversees energy supplies including electricity, oil, and gas, and works with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the protection of nuclear materials and power. Note that CIP in this sector is different from energy security, which is the politics and economics of supply. Additionally, operating under the auspices of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), a non-profit organization that defines and enforces reliability standards for the bulk power system. Information and communications: - Overseen by the Department of Commerce, most areas of life rely on telecommunications and information technology. Federal and municipal services: - Overseen jointly by Federal and State agencies. They guarantee continuity of government at the federal, state, and local levels to meet for provision of essential services. Emergency services: - Overseen by the Health and Human Services, this includes emergency health services and public health Fire departments: - Overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA. Law enforcement agencies: - Overseen jointly by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ensure the orderly running of activities during times of threat or crises. Public works: - Overseen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This includes safe water systems and drainage. In 2003 the remit was expanded