Preventing terrorism and reducing the nation's vulnerability to terrorist acts on critical infrastructures and key resources requires an understanding of the common vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures, understanding the types of terrorist activities that likely would be successful in exploiting those vulnerabilities, and taking preemptive and protective actions to mitigate vulnerabilities so that terrorists can no longer exploit them.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has compiled a series of reports based on experiences and insights gathered from a wide variety security-related assessments made at critical infrastructures and key resources, ranging from chemical plants and electric power generators to shopping malls and stadiums. Three types of report information are available:

• Common Vulnerabilities (CV) Information
  Contains general information about the infrastructure sector and particular information about the types of equipment, commodities, and processes that are likely to be present at the particular type of facility and how those assets may be vulnerable to attack. Examples of CVs include: easy access by the public to a facility; inadequate screening of temporary employees; and, lack of full-scale testing of emergency plans.
• Potential Indicators (PI) of Terrorist Activity
  Provides a general discussion about the weapons and tactics available to terrorists for achieving their objectives, with discussions about imminent attack indicators, surveillance indicators, business transactional indicators, and surrounding area indicators. Examples of PIs include: unattended packages; persons possessing or observed using night-vision devices; and persons stopped in the surrounding area with unexplained amounts of explosives.
• Protective Measures (PM) Information
  Provides an in depth discussion of the implementation of both baseline protective measures for equipment, personnel, and procedures, and temporary protective measures in conjunction with the Homeland Security Advisory Alert Levels. Examples of PMs include: develop procedures for dealing with the media during an incident; coordinate security force operations with local law enforcement; and validate the credentials and work of contractors given access to technology systems.

Report information is available on over one-hundred specific business types. Papers have been written for subcategories of the following infrastructures:

• Agriculture and Food
• Banking and Finance
• Chemical and Hazardous Materials Industry
• Commercial Assets
• Dams
• Defense Industrial Base
• Emergency Services
• Energy
• Government Facilities
• Healthcare and Public Health
• Information Technology
• National Monuments and Icons
• Nuclear Facilities
• Postal and Shipping
• Telecommunications
• Transportation
• Water

CV/PI/PM information is intended for infrastructure owners, local law enforcement, emergency responders, and homeland security staff. The intent is to share experiences gained from many different types of infrastructures and stimulate new and improved ways to protect the nation's vital systems.

CV/PI/PM information resources are available from the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection by completing the Request Form.