Tag: cybersecurity

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report reviewing collaboration in critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Critical infrastructure includes financial institutions and energy production, and is vital to U.S. national security, as well as the nation’s economy and public health and safety. These systems are secured by sector-specific agencies (SSAs) following federal policies and the National […]

In November, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center released the 2016 National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America. The new strategy updates previous versions, and lays out how the U.S. government will identify and disrupt foreign intelligence entity (FIE) threats. The strategy addresses counterintelligence concerns inside and outside of government, and builds on […]

On November 30, the House of Representative passed H.R. 3490, the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act. The bill was originally introduced in September of this year by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) befor being referred to the Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security. The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002, […]

Last month, leaders from the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) spoke at CyberCon 2015, a cybersecurity forum for dialogue on strategy and innovation to secure federal and defense networks. The forum included speakers and panelists representing various U.S. government agencies, and focused on cybersecurity and defense. Keynote speakers included DHS Secretary Jeh […]

FBI Cyber Division Section IV Chief Gerald Bessette was recently interviewed about actions agencies should take before and after a cyber breach. During the interview, Bessette discussed the Cyber Division’s place within the FBI, trends in cyber intrusions and breeches, and the differences between cyber investigations and traditional probes. Bessette spoke about the Cyber Division’s […]

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released a memorandum on the implementation of a cybersecurity strategy for the federal civilian government. The Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan (CSIP) is the result of the Cybersecurity Sprint initiated by Federal Chief Information Officer Tony Scott. The Cybersecurity Sprint was a 30-day review of the federal […]

On October 27, the Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 in a 74-to-21 vote. CISA was passed by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in March before moving to the Senate, and will now be reconciled with legislation passed by the House of Representatives. The bill creates additional incentives to increase voluntary sharing of […]

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to expand on its Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program. The ECS program was launched in 2011, and involves cybersecurity organizations from across the federal government. The ECS, which was expanded in 2013, is a voluntary information sharing program that shares sensitive and classified cyber threat indicators from across […]

On August 10, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) released their draft Report on Strategic U.S. Government Engagement in International Standardization to Achieve U.S. Objectives for Cybersecurity. In 2014, NIST was tasked with collaborating with U.S. federal government agencies to ensure interagency coordination in “the development of international technical standards related to information […]

Earlier this week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced leadership changes at the Department’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC). The NCCIC is the U.S. government’s 24/7 hub for cybersecurity information sharing, incident response, and coordination, and has been without permanent leadership for nearly a year. Dr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary of […]