Senior government officials at the Department of Commerce recently provided an update on the administration?s priorities for cyber security policy. Recently, the president signed an executive order on improving critical infrastructure cyber security and a Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on critical infrastructure security and resilience. These actions will strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure against evolving threats through an updated and overarching national framework that acknowledges the increased role of cyber security in securing physical assets.
?DHS actively collaborates with public and private sector partners every day to help prevent and respond to attempted disruptions to the nation?s critical cyber and communications networks,? Secretary Janet Napolitano said. ?These actions taken by the President are a key step towards improved security and resilience as we continue to work with Congress to keep our nation safe and secure for generations to come.?
During the recent event, Jane Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) joined Rebecca Blank, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and White House Cyber security Coordinator, General Keith Alexander, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service, James M. Cole, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, and Dr. Patrick Gallagher, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce, to provide an update on priorities for 2013, including efforts to share information and work collaboratively among federal agencies and with the private sector to reduce cyber security risks.
In support of the executive order on cyber security and PPD on critical infrastructure security and resilience, the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to improve the synchronization and mutual support of their respective efforts to improve the nation?s cyber security while protecting privacy and civil liberties.
Critical infrastructure ? both physical and cyber ? is the backbone of America?s national security and economic prosperity. The nation?s critical infrastructure is diverse and complex. It includes distributed networks, varied organizational structures and operating models (including multi-national ownership), interdependent functions and systems in both physical space and cyberspace, and governance constructs that involve multi-level authorities, responsibilities and regulations. Critical infrastructure faces a variety of risks to its security and ability to function, including manmade acts of terror, extreme weather events, other natural disasters and cyber attacks.
