There are 14 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of these.

• Telecommunications
• Electrical Power
• Gas and Oil Production, Storage, and Delivery
• Banking and Finance
• Transportation Systems
• Water Supply Systems
• Emergency Services
• Government Operations
• Agriculture and Food
• Public Health
• Defense Industrial Base
• Transportation
• Chemical Industry and Hazardous Materials
• Postal and Shipping

Key Assets represent individual targets whose destruction could cause large-scale injury, death, or destruction of property. An attack on a key asset would be an emotional or psychological loss and profoundly damage national prestige and confidence. Such assets and activities alone may not be vital to the continuity of critical services on a national scale, but an attack on one of them could produce significant loss of life and/or public health and safety consequences. Key assets present terrorists with additional targets and the potential for causing many casualties. These include:

• Schools
• Sports arenas
• Malls
• Concert halls
• High rise residences
• Office buildings
• Places of worship
• Special events