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Homeland Security and Public Safety Emergency Management

INSTRUCTIONS:

There are 11 recommendations made by the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC).  Choose one of the recommendations as a theme for your paper.NIAC SECURING CYBER ASSETS FINAL REPORT found at https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/niac-securing-cyber-assets-final-report-508.pdf (You may need to copy the url and post in an open window).  There are 11 recommendations made by the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC). I have listed these below.  Choose one of the recommendations as a theme for your paper, due at the end of Week 7.  Please research your chosen recommendation to determine whether the private sector has taken the cue from the NIAC and started the work, or whether a public/private partnership has been formed to answer the need, or whether the government has actually taken the lead in the matter.Please use the following format for your paper:Topic, subject matter review of the chosen recommendation, key decision(s) needed to be made to secure the given cyber asset area, the decision you would make to improve the situation and why.Recommendations The challenges the NIAC identified are well-known and reflected in study after study. There is a narrow and fleeting window of opportunity before a watershed, 9/11-level cyber attack to organize effectively and take bold action.We call on the Administration to use this moment of foresight to take bold, decisive actions:1) Establish SEPARATE, SECURE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS specifically designated for the most critical cyber networks, including “dark fiber” networks for critical control system traffic and reserved spectrum for backup communications during emergencies. ACTION REQUIRED BY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), NSC, and the Strategic Infrastructure Coordinating Council (SICC) (Electricity, Financial Services, and Communications)2) FACILITATE A PRIVATE-SECTOR-LED PILOT OF MACHINE-TO-MACHINE INFORMATION SHARING TECHNOLOGIES, led by the Electricity and Financial Services Sectors, to test public-private and company-to-company information sharing of cyber threats at network speed. ACTION REQUIRED BY: DOE, DHS, ODNI, NSC, and the SICC3) Identify best-in-class SCANNING TOOLS AND ASSESSMENT PRACTICES, and work with owners and operators of the most critical networks to scan and sanitize their systems on a voluntary basis. ACTION REQUIRED BY: NSC and DHS4) Strengthen the capabilities of TODAY’S CYBER WORKFORCE by sponsoring a public-private expert exchange program. ACTION REQUIRED BY: NSC, DHS, and Congress 4 Establish a set of LIMITED TIME, OUTCOME-BASED MARKET INCENTIVES that encourage owners and operators to upgrade cyber infrastructure,5) invest in state-of-the-art technologies, and meet industry standards or best practices. ACTION REQUIRED BY: DOE, DHS, ODNI, NSC, Congress, and the SICC6) Streamline and significantly expedite the SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS for owners of the nation’s most critical cyber assets, and expedite the siting, availability, and access of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) to ensure cleared owners and operators can access secure facilities within one hour of a major threat or incident. ACTION REQUIRED BY: DHS, ODNI, NSC, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and all agencies that issue/sponsor clearances7) Establish clear protocols to RAPIDLY DECLASSIFY CYBER THREAT INFORMATION and proactively share it with owners and operators of critical infrastructure, whose actions may provide the nation’s front line of defense against major cyber attacks. ACTION REQUIRED BY: NSC, DHS, ODNI, FBI, and the Intelligence Community8) PILOT AN OPERATIONAL TASK FORCE OF EXPERTS IN GOVERNMENT AND IN THE ELECTRICITY, FINANCE, AND COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES—led by the executives who can direct priorities and marshal resources—to take decisive action on the nation’s top cyber needs with the speed and agility required by escalating cyber threats.  ACTION REQUIRED BY: DOE, DHS, ODNI, NSC, the SICC, DOD, U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)9) USE THE NATIONAL-LEVEL GRIDEX IV EXERCISE (NOVEMBER 2017) TO TEST the detailed execution of federal authorities and capabilities during a cyber incident, and identify and assign agency-specific recommendations to coordinate and clarify the federal government’s response actions where they are unclear. ACTION REQUIRED BY: DOE, DHS, ODNI, NSC, and the SICC10) Establish an OPTIMUM CYBERSECURITY GOVERNANCE APPROACH to direct and coordinate the cyber defense of the nation, aligning resources and marshaling expertise from across federal agencies. ACTION REQUIRED BY: DHS, ODNI, NSC, DOJ, DOD, and Congress11) Task the Homeland Security Advisor to review the recommendations included in this report and within six months CONVENE A MEETING OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS to address barriers to implementation and identify immediate next steps to move forward.
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