The Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are collaborating for a campaign to strengthen the resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure.
The Shields Ready campaign is a follow-up to Shields Up, and aims to provide resources and tools to help hospitals, utilities and other critical infrastructure entities respond and recover from operational disruption, DHS announced Tuesday.
CISA previously launched Shields Up to urge the sector’s stakeholders to develop time-sensitive risk management measures in preparation for cybersecurity-specific threat intelligence.
Shields Ready is designed in likeness to FEMA’s Ready initiative for disaster response. It includes guidance on identifying an infrastructure organization’s dependencies and risks, making actionable plans and developing metrics for continuous improvement strategies. More information is found on the campaign’s page on CISA’s website.
“In coordination with FEMA’s own Ready campaign, this new approach will help us encourage critical infrastructure stakeholders to practice preparedness and build a more resilient nation by creating plans to protect people and communities alike against hazardous events,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell remarked.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and CISA Director Jen Easterly, who are both Wash100 inductees, expressed similar sentiments, saying the project prepares individuals and communities for present and future threats and challenges in national infrastructure.
DHS and CISA will be among the participants at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 15. Click here to register for the event.
