Overview[]
Executive Order 13231 (as amended by Executive Order 13286 of February 28, 2003, Executive Order 13385 of September 29, 2005, and and Executive Order 13585 of September 30, 2011) established the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) as the President's principal advisory panel on Critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) protection issues spanning all sectors. The NIAC is composed of not more than 30 members, appointed by the President, who are selected from the private sector, academia, and State and local governments, representing senior executive leadership expertise from the CIKR areas as delineated in HSPD-7.
The NIAC provides the President, through the Secretary of Homeland Security, with advice on the security of critical infrastructure, both physical and cyber, supporting important sectors of the economy. It also has the authority to provide advice directly to the heads of other departments that have shared responsibility for critical infrastructure protection, including Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, and Department of Energy.
The NIAC is charged to improve the cooperation and partnership between the public and private sectors in securing critical infrastructure and advises on policies and strategies that range from risk assessment and management, to information sharing, to protective strategies and clarification on roles and responsibilities between public and private sectors.