CISA Launches Pilot Program to Address Critical Infrastructure Threats

Last week, CISA announced that it is launching a pilot program designed to provide cybersecurity services to critical infrastructure entities in need.

The blog post, written by Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the agency, detailed how cyberattacks are affecting the day-to-day operations of critical infrastructure organizations and are increasing in volume and impact, citing the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline and increasingly advanced threat actors that specialize in critical infrastructure.

The pilot program is a response to this threat environment and CISA already has it underway, deploying its Protective Domain Name System to organizations that are participating in the pilot, a resource that was previously limited in its availability.

CISA will be hosting roundtables and information systems with partners in every sector and region to understand the "unique needs and challenges, identify gaps in existing capabilities, assess interest in our shared services, and identify ways CISA can provide more scalable support through shared services or other means" for critical infrastructure organizations.

Critical infrastructure entities that are currently included in the pilot program exist in healthcare, water, and K-12 education in its first phase, but CISA plans to provide its services to 100 different entities this year across sectors.

Interested organizations can contact a security adviser at a CISA office in the region to potentially participate in the pilot program.