Inter-Agency Structure

The American response to cyber-physical threats sits at a crossroads of defense, commerce, and agriculture. No single agency owns it; responsibility drifts like static between channels.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Coordinates critical-infrastructure protection through CISA. Oversees private-sector outreach yet depends on voluntary compliance.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Leads domestic counter-intelligence investigations. Agent Steele’s unit operates within its Cyber Division’s Critical Infrastructure Section.

Department of Defense (DoD) / U.S. Cyber Command

Provides offensive and defensive cyber capability. Often shares analysts with the National Security Agency (NSA), blurring oversight lines.

USDA / DOE Partnerships

Joint research programs manage energy and agricultural automation—the same sectors targeted in the novel’s chain reaction.

“Interdependence is the system’s strength and its blind spot.”