Home Office of the Director Operations Homeland Security State Threat Assessment Center Critical Infrastructure Protection

Critical Infrastructure Protection

Cal OES Headquarters Building

The CIP unit assesses risk to California’s critical infrastructure. The unit identifies, prioritizes, and helps protect California’s critical assets from natural hazards, technological hazards and human-caused threats. CIP and its partner such as regional fusion centers, the California Cybersecurity Integration Center, and the Department of Homeland Security provide infrastructure owners and operators with threat information, risk reduction options, and other support to help manage risk to their assets and systems.

What is Critical Infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure is the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the California that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination of these.
Protecting California’s critical infrastructure is a vital component to the overall strategy to protect California and its citizens. Cal OES recognizes that California society and way of life are dependent on a reliable network of infrastructure.

Explore this Section

Risk and Security Assessment Programs

Outreach and Coordination Projects & Programs

​California Maritime Security Council (CMSC)

The CMSC was established by Executive Order S-19-06 to enhance port security through statewide collaboration and information sharing. The Cal OES Director serves as Committee Chair, and the Commander, U.S. Coast Guard District Eleven serves as Vice Chair. The CMSC, through developing and facilitating partnerships among local, state, federal, academic and private sector stakeholders, has enhanced California’s maritime security by identifying threats, improving security measures and communications, and refining the state’s maritime security strategy. Through the implementation of its strategy to protect ports and the maritime community, California continues to support the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System, and to promote efforts for maritime domain awareness.

View the California Maritime Security Council Charter

​Funding Opportunity: The Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) is one of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) grant programs that directly supports maritime transportation infrastructure security activities. For more information on this grant funding, please visit FEMA’s website for the Port Security Grant Program.

Supported Programs

Risk and Security Assessment Programs

  • Assessing Risk
  • Physical Security Assessments
  • School Security
  • Nonprofit Security Grants

Outreach and Coordination Projects & Programs

  • Ports and Harbors
  • California Maritime Security Council (CMSC)
  • Infrastructure Protection Working Group (IPWG)
  • Special Events Assessment Rating (SEAR)
  • VAILDS Initiative