Research

Critical Infrastructure

Since September 11, 2001, this search has become one of the key elements of the national agenda in the U.S. and abroad.

Research Project Title: Protection of Critical Infrasturcture and ational Security

PI/Project Contact: Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Howard Kunreuther


Other faculty involved:

  • Philip Auerswald
  • Lewis M. Branscomb
  • Noah Gans
  • Geoffrey Heal
  • Patrick Lagadec
  • Todd M. La Porte
  • Tom Lee
  • Serguei Netessine
  • Balaji Padmanabhan
  • Harvey Rubin

Project decription:

While nearly 85% of critical infrastructure is owned or operated by the private sector in the United States, most prior work on "critical infrastructure protection" has focused on the responsibilities of government. Since 2004 we have joined with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and George Mason's School of Public Policy to undertake research that focuses on the private sector firms that provide most vital services. Our goal is to systematically understand how private decisions affect public vulnerability. This work has resulted in the book Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response (Cambridge University Press, New York, 2006) which describes effective and sustainable approaches -- both business strategies and public policies -- toward ensuring the provision of critical services in the event of disaster.

In parallel to this initiative, the Center's conceptual and applied research is project-oriented by sector (e.g., airline security, postal security, global supply chain security, telecom security) or field (e.g., financial recovery, information sharing, risk perception, crisis management). Each research project is undertaken with one or more industry partners and/or specific federal agencies. The Risk Center has ongoing collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as with leading firms in several critical sectors.

Our activities on protection of critical infrastructure and national security builds on research undertaken by the Wharton Risk Center over the past 5 years, as part of the 20 years of experience the Center has had in undertaking research on managing and financing low probability-high consequence events.

Seminar Series on Catastrophic Risk Regulation

Book: Seeds of Disaster, Roots of Response: How Private Action Can Reduce Public Vulnerability