Communications

A diverse group of eight people gathered around a wooden meeting table, shaking hands, with laptops, tablets, notebooks, and coffee cups on the table, engaging in a collaborative work session in a modern office.

Sector Overview

The Communications Sector is an integral component of the U.S. economy, underlying the operations of all businesses, public safety organizations, and government. Presidential Policy Directive 21 identifies the Communications Sector as critical because it provides an “enabling function” across all critical infrastructure sectors. Over the last 25 years, the sector has evolved from predominantly a provider of voice services into a diverse, competitive, and interconnected industry using terrestrial, satellite, and wireless transmission systems. The transmission of these services has become interconnected; satellite, wireless, and wireline providers depend on each other to carry and terminate their traffic and companies routinely share facilities and technology to ensure interoperability.

The private sector, as owners and operators of the majority of communications infrastructure, is the primary entity responsible for protecting sector infrastructure and assets. Working with the federal government, the private sector is able to predict, anticipate, and respond to sector outages and understand how they might affect the ability of the national leadership to communicate during times of crisis, impact the operations of other sectors, and affect response and recovery efforts.

The Communications Sector is closely linked to other sectors, including:

  • The Energy Sector provides power to run cellular towers, central offices, and other critical communications facilities;

  • The Information Technology Sector provides critical control systems and services, physical architecture and Internet infrastructure;

  • The Financial Services Sector relies on communications for the transmission of transactions and operations of financial markets; and

  • The Emergency Services Sector depends on communications for directing resources, coordinating response, alerting the public, and receiving emergency 911 calls.

Communications Sector

  • Close-up portrait of a woman with short brown hair, brown eyes, and light skin, wearing a dark blazer and black shirt, against a black background.

    Kim Broggie, APP

    Communications Sector

    Kim Broggie, APP is an industrial security professional and U.S. Army veteran with deep expertise in counterintelligence, insider threat mitigation, and enterprise security compliance. Currently serving as a Lead Compliance Investigator and Insider Threat Program Manager at Viasat, Kim is responsible for identifying, investigating, and mitigating intelligence and insider threat risks across complex environments, including those posed by emerging technologies. With prior experience as a SIGINT Analyst at the National Security Agency and the U.S. Army, Kim brings a strong national security and intelligence foundation to private-sector security operations. She also serves as Co-Chair of the San Diego Counterintelligence InfraGard Working Group, collaborating with trusted industry partners, the Department of Defense, and federal counterparts to strengthen regional security and information sharing.

    email | LinkedIn