Homeland Security Department officials said Monday that the government does not plan to place many security requirements on private industry when it comes to protecting the nation's critical infrastructure. James Loy, the department's deputy secretary, said the federal government will back away from issuing new security mandates to industry, and instead let private companies take the lead "in most cases" to protect critical infrastructure, such as power plants and water reservoirs. . . .
Homeland Security Department officials said Monday that the government does not plan to place many security requirements on private industry when it comes to protecting the nation's critical infrastructure.

James Loy, the department's deputy secretary, said the federal government will back away from issuing new security mandates to industry, and instead let private companies take the lead "in most cases" to protect critical infrastructure, such as power plants and water reservoirs.

"We cannot secure the homeland from Washington, D.C.," Loy told a gathering of industry representatives during a conference sponsored by the department's information analysis and infrastructure protection directorate. Loy said up to 85 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by private firms.

"You are in the best position to tell us where your vulnerabilities lie, what the business community is doing, what first responders need and how we can help in that process," he said. "But unlike wars of the past ... this is not going to be a situation where the federal government simply does it for the nation."

Loy said the directorate's mission is to analyze potential threats against the United States, map the nation's critical infrastructure, identify ways to reduce vulnerabilities and provide industry with information.

The link for this article located at govexec.com is no longer available.