An Agency Makeover

Nov. 21, 2018
2 min read

Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern. There were more reported instances of data breaches in the US during the first half of 2018 than in all of 2013, according to a recent report.  A separate study indicates that 43% of US businesses were the victim of a cyber security breach within the last 12 months.

A bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last week officially transforms the existing National Protection and Programs Directorate-—a program currently within Department of Homeland Security—into a federal organization called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The organization is tasked with improving cybersecurity defenses across all federal agencies, coordinating state programs, and reinforcing the US government’s overall cyberprotections.

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Christopher Krebs, under secretary of the existing NPPD, will become the first Director of the CISA. According to him, the agency’s priorities will remain much the same. But as a federal agency, CISA will now benefit from increased budgetary support and more authority in pursuing its goals. As a federal agency, the news agency will be on the same level as the secret service and FEMA, though organizationally it will be under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. Some see the change as a signal of the administration’s intent to prioritize cybercrime protection.

“The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving,” explained DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, “…and we need to ensure we’re properly positioned to defend America’s infrastructure from threats digital and physical. It was time to reorganize and operationalize NPPD into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.” She called the bill’s passing into law “a significant step to stand up a federal government cybersecurity agency.”

With the increase in cybercrime aimed at infrastructure and utilities, what impact do you think this organizational change might have on water agencies? Do you think that the development of CISA could support the improved coordination of cybersecurity defenses programs at the federal, state, and municipal levels? How do you think your municipality will be affected?

About the Author

Laura Sanchez

Laura Sanchez is the editor of Distributed Energy and Water Efficiency magazines.
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