New federal Shields Ready campaign seeks stronger critical infrastructure security, resilience

Improved defenses and resilience against cybersecurity and physical security threats, as well as natural disasters, among U.S. critical infrastructure entities have been sought by the new Shields Ready campaign launched by the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Federal Emergency Management Agency, SecurityWeek reports. Aside from recommending the discovery of critical assets and systems, as well as the development and continuous improvement of incident response plans, CISA has also provided tabletop exercise assistance and operational resilience and cybersecurity evaluation services as part of the new campaign. "Our nation's critical infrastructure entities from schools to hospitals to water facilities must have the tools and resources to respond to and recover from disruption. By taking steps today to prepare for incidents, critical infrastructure, communities, and individuals can be better prepared to recover from the impact of the threats of tomorrow, and into the future," said CISA Director Jen Easterly.