The Department of Homeland Security has released a binding operational directive to increase coordinated efforts to protect federal information systems against cyber threats.
Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at DHS, wrote in a blog entry posted Friday the department will implement an integrated approach meant to address weaknesses across the government’s high-value assets as part of BOD 18-02.
The directive also calls for federal cybersecurity teams to collaborate on remediation activities and for agency senior executives to participate in enterprise risk management programs.
The department first released a directive on critical system security in 2016 and has since helped address nearly 200 high-priority vulnerabilities through HVA evaluations.
DHS also partnered with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to produce the “HVA Control Overlay” document in a move to help civilian agencies secure high impact systems.