National Infrastructure Coordinating Center

People sitting at rows of desks facing a wall with large screensThe National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC) is the dedicated 24/7 coordination and information sharing operations center that maintains situational awareness of the nation’s critical infrastructure for the federal government. When an incident or event affecting critical infrastructure occurs and requires coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and the owners and operators of our nation’s infrastructure, the NICC serves as that information sharing hub to support the security and resilience of these vital assets. The NICC is part of the National Protection and Programs Directorate/Office of Infrastructure Protection and the DHS National Operations Center.

Linking Physical and Cyber Security

The Department leads the federal government’s efforts to secure our nation’s critical infrastructure by working with owners and operators to prepare for, prevent, mitigate, and respond to threats. To address threats to our nation from cyber-attacks, natural disasters, or the actions of others that could disrupt our power, water, communications and other critical systems, the President issued Executive Order on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity and Presidential Policy Directive on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. These policies link the both cyber and physical security information sharing between the National Cybersecurity Communications and Integrations Center (NCCIC) and the NICC to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. government’s work to secure critical infrastructure and make it more resilient.

NICC functions include:

  • Situational Awareness: Collecting, maintaining, and sharing information about threats to infrastructure.
  • Information Sharing and Collaboration: Integrating and disseminating information throughout the critical infrastructure partnership network. Processing and posting Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR).
  • Assessment and Analysis: Evaluating infrastructure data for accuracy, importance, and implications.
  • Decision Support: Providing recommendations to critical infrastructure partners and DHS leadership.
  • Future Operations: Supporting decision-making for actions required 24–72 hours before and after an incident or event.

Contact Information:

Individuals sitting in front of computers in a room with TVs on the walls. Several individuals are on the telephone.

Last Published Date: October 4, 2016

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