U.S. Department of Homeland Security develops cybersecurity guidance for local governments

Key Takeaways

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently developed and released “A Guide to Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience” as a part of the National Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month this November. The guide serves as an overview of the U.S. all-hazards approach to critical infrastructure security and resilience. Critical infrastructure includes the assets, systems, facilities, networks and other elements our country relies upon to maintain national security, economic vitality and public health and safety.

The new guide takes a holistic approach that considers all threats and hazards and can greatly enhance the effectiveness of local critical infrastructure protection. It is a useful reference for counties and can serve as a tool to engage additional partners on roles and responsibilities for protecting critical infrastructure.

The guide provides a step-by-step approach to developing, implementing and refining related cybersecurity policies and programs for a range of stakeholders, including experts in security, counterterrorism, crisis management and emergency response. It also includes coordination examples with industry owners and operators and others with related responsibilities and capabilities.

The guide can be viewed here.

For more information on critical infrastructure for counties, please contact Associate Legislative Director Lindsey Holman (Lholman@naco.org).