Betting On Catastrophe: The Private Sector And Anti-Terrorism Spending For Physical Security

The cost of protecting U.S. private sector critical infrastructure assets is estimated at $10 billion per year. This qualitative research examined the incentives and obstacles for the willing expenditure on terrorism protection by American business, revealing that the implementation of security measures beyond the private sector's day-to-day operational risks have characteristics similar to the private provision of a public good. This paper may have important implications for policy-makers looking to address not only the issue of terrorism protection but also the private sector's preparation for catastrophic events more broadly.