The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is preparing to launch a new tabletop exercise program under its CI Fortify initiative to help critical infrastructure operators strengthen their ability to recover from cyberattacks, acting CISA Director Nick Andersen said Tuesday.
Speaking at the Rubrik Public Sector Summit on Oct. 13, Andersen said the agency is developing practical resources to help organizations assess their ability to isolate compromised systems and restore critical operations following a cyber incident.
“We’re providing actionable toolkits to them, like our CI Fortify tabletop exercise program that’s getting ready to launch, and a couple of other capabilities to be able to put directly in their hands,” Andersen said.
Andersen did not specify when the tabletop exercise program would launch.
The CI Fortify initiative focuses on helping critical infrastructure owners and operators prepare for major cyber disruptions and prioritize the services most essential to public health, national security, and economic stability. CISA launched the initiative in May.
The CI Fortify initiative also extends beyond the United States. Andersen said CISA “intentionally kicked it off as a Five Eyes conversation” to coordinate resilience and recovery planning with international partners.
Ultimately, Andersen said the initiative aims to ensure essential services can withstand disruptions or be rapidly restored, whether disruptions are caused by malicious cyber activity or natural disasters.
“Being able to have that measurable, demonstrable level of accountability for continuous delivery of essential services” is central to the effort, Andersen said.
Andersen urged organizations to identify their most critical systems and determine the minimum level of operations that must remain available during a crisis.
“I think it starts with that crown jewels analysis of what is absolutely most important, and what is that minimum viability level to be able to persist as an organization,” Andersen said.
“When we start to frame that conversation in our minds around what is actually important and what is just an inconvenience if it’s not available, that gets us to a really interesting space,” he added.