6 DHS Cybersecurity Achievements in 2011

Not all federal agencies are equal when it comes to securing government IT assets. Whether through decisions made at the White House or provisions found in cybersecurity legislation before Congress, the Department of Homeland Security - among civilian agencies - is gaining more sway on how non-military, non-intelligence IT is secured.

See Also: The Cybersecurity Swiss Army Knife for Info Guardians: ISO/IEC 27001

Whether one agrees with the elevation of DHS to lead the federal government's efforts in IT security, the department was busy in the cyber domain this past year. Here are six 2011 initiatives DHS touted that it contends demonstrates its critical role in IT security:

1. The department's United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team responded to more than 100,000 incident reports, and released more than 5,000 actionable cybersecurity alerts and information products. U.S.-CERT provides response support and defense against cyberattacks for the .gov civilian agencies' networks as well as private sector partners, upon request.
2. DHS launched the loaned executive program and cyber workforce initiative, two programs designed to attract top professionals in the scientific and cyber fields. Over the past two years, DHS has increased the size of its cybersecurity workforce by 500 percent, and the department's fiscal year 2012 budget request supports what DHS characterizes as high-quality, cost-effective cybersecurity education and training to develop and grow a robust cybersecurity workforce.
3. Secretary Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt recognized the winners of the Stop.Think.Connect.Campaign's Public Service Announcement Challenge for their contributions to the campaign's efforts to encourage Internet safety among Americans. DHS also announced the launch of a new Stop.Think.Connect website and new partnerships with Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and YMCA, initiatives that DHS says will help protect millions of children from online threats by encouraging Internet safety.
4. The U.S. and India signed a memorandum of understanding to promote closer cooperation and the timely exchange of critical cybersecurity information and expertise between the two governments through the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and U.S.-CERT. Through this arrangement, the respective governments and broader cybersecurity communities in both countries will be able to coordinate with their counterparts on a broad range of technical and operational cyber issues.
5. DHS provided key analysis and assistance through its Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team to protect the industrial control systems that help operate America's power grid, manufacturing systems and other essential critical infrastructure from dangerous malware and viruses that may cause damage or destroy key resources.
6. DHS released the Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future: The Cybersecurity Strategy for the Homeland Security Enterprise, which calls for a coordinated effort across the homeland security community to protect our nation's critical information infrastructure and build a safer and more secure cyber ecosystem. Specific actions outlined in the strategy include hardening critical networks, prosecuting cybercrime, raising public awareness and training a national cybersecurity workforce.

Another significant achievement not mentioned by DHS was the restructuring of its National Protection and Programs Directorate, with the creation of two deputy undersecretary posts (see DHS Restructures Protection and Programs Unit). Napolitano tapped former California and Colorado Chief Information Security Officer Mark Weatherford to be deputy undersecretary for cybersecurity. Suzanne Spaulding, a former principal for the Bingham Consulting Group, received the portfolio that focuses on reducing risk and enhancing the resiliency of critical infrastructure, secure federal facilities and advance identity management and verification. Indeed, 2011 was a busy year at DHS.