Infrastructure IS the foundation: Modernizing what serves and secures the American people

This OpEd was originally published in S.C. Media:

July 7, 2025

Author:  Cory Simpson, CEO, ICIT

I grew up in West Virginia, a place of deep roots, proud people, and breathtaking beauty. But like many parts of the country, it’s also a place where infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace with what people need to live, work, and thrive. Roads crumbled. Water lines leaked. Power flickered with the weather. Broadband was sparse or absent altogether.

What many Americans consider basic—reliable electricity, clean water, safe roads—was never a given. But the communities I knew were strong, resilient, and equally deserving of the same foundation every American family needs.

That foundation is infrastructure. It’s the warm water before school, the lights after a storm, the signal that connects a doctor to a patient. It’s what holds opportunity in place. And it’s one of the most powerful ways a country invests in its people and protects its future.

What’s really critical

In Washington, critical infrastructure is often defined through the lens of national security—how a system supports power projection, military force mobilization, or nuclear deterrence.

At ICIT, we begin with a different question: What do people need to survive, recover, and build better lives? We define critical infrastructure by its ability to meet foundational needs. Clean water. Reliable energy. Roads that connect. Broadband that informs, employs, and heals. These systems don’t just support daily life—they shape what’s possible. They create the conditions for stability, prosperity, and freedom.

There’s overlap between these perspectives, and both are important. Local officials—mayors, tribal leaders, governors—often see infrastructure through its impact on everyday life: providing clean water to homes, powering hospitals, and keeping families connected. As scale increases, the perspective shifts. At the national level, infrastructure is also seen as a strategic asset—key to deterrence and readiness, and vital to resilience at a larger scale.

That spectrum isn’t a division; it’s a continuum of responsibility. Infrastructure must support both people and security. ICIT works at that intersection.

That’s why we focus on three categories: Energy, Water, and what we call T&T—Transportation and Telecommunications. In any crisis, two things must move: people and information. Response depends on the ability to communicate and the capacity to deliver. Resilience is just as dependent on steady power and clean water. These systems are interconnected. They are critical infrastructure—and through ICIT’s perspective, they represent how a nation keeps its promise to its people.

Building resilience where it matters most

ICIT was founded eleven years ago to advance national security through improved cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. Today, that mission has grown. We modernize, secure, and strengthen the systems that meet the foundational needs of the American people.

We accomplish this through independent research, trusted leadership, and direct engagement with government, industry, and civil society. We turn complexity into practical strategies that protect people, communities, and institutions.

Our focus is clear: Energy, Water, and T&T—Transportation and Telecommunications. These systems power hospitals and homes, deliver safe drinking water, transport responders, and connect communities. They must withstand disruption, recover quickly, and serve everyone.

Infrastructure should empower. This means modernizing legacy systems, securing digital pathways, and ensuring that investments reach the people and places that need them most. That’s how we create a stronger, safer, and more stable future—starting from the foundation.

Putting people at the center

Critical infrastructure shapes the rhythm of daily life. It enables parents to get kids to school, nurses to operate lifesaving equipment, and business owners to connect with customers. It keeps water safe, roads open, broadband running, and communities moving.

Every failure reveals where systems need to be strengthened—and where investment delivers the greatest impact.

A people-first approach helps ensure that infrastructure meets urgent needs under both every day and extraordinary pressures, such as cyber threats, climate disruptions, aging systems, and rising demand. It brings resilience to every part of the country—rural towns, tribal lands, urban centers, and coastal communities.

At ICIT, we believe strong infrastructure builds strong people, and strong people build a stronger nation. Resilience begins in homes, clinics, schools, and neighborhoods. That’s where leadership matters most. That’s where the future takes shape.

Securing the foundation

America’s strength begins with its people. And people depend on infrastructure, the systems that support daily life, ensure security, and make what’s possible happen. Investing in those systems is a strategic decision. It shows who we are, what we value, and how seriously we take the responsibility to serve.

At the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, we focus on strengthening the systems that sustain the American people. We bring clarity to complexity and action to where it matters most. We bring people together—leaders, innovators, and practitioners—around a common mission and a shared sense of purpose.

Our work connects ideas, communities, and institutions—because genuine progress occurs when people are aligned, informed, and prepared to lead. That’s how insight transforms into strategy. That’s how strategy creates impact.

Modernizing and securing our infrastructure is one of the most effective ways to build a stronger, more resilient country. A strong foundation supports everything we value—and everyone we serve.

If this mission resonates with you, join us. ICIT is continually bringing together those who believe in this work and are ready to help shape what comes next.

Cory Simpson

Cory Simpson is the CEO of Gray Space Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and advisory firm, and the Institute for Critical Infrastructure (ICIT), a non-profit organization dedicated to the security and resilience of critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0.  The opinions expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the views of any employer or affiliated organization.

About ICIT

The Institute  for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society.

Learn more at www.icitech.org/.

ICIT CONTACTS:

Parham Eftekhari

Founder and Chairman

parham@icitech.org 

Cory Simpson

Chief Executive Officer

cory@icitech.org