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Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great opportunity for all of us to think through how we approach cybersecurity in both our work and personal lives. Every day, we hear stories about the latest compromise at an organization, or a person who has fallen victim to cyber criminals. As highlighted by...
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In May 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” making cybersecurity a government-wide priority. Launched last year, the U.S. Digital Corps is a two-year, full-time opportunity housed at the General Services Administration (GSA) for early-career technologists to start their careers...
A pipeline is shut down for a week, resulting in delays in delivery of 20 billion gallons of oil. A large meat supplier halts operations at nine processing plants, causing shortages on supermarket shelves. 100 terabytes of intellectual property are stolen from a major media company. Besides being devastating to...
Every day, the public experiences well-designed interactions when using consumer products and services. They’re easy and intuitive. The public rightfully wants, expects, and deserves the same experience when interacting with the Government – and it’s possible. Technology underpins our ability to get there. Data enables an enterprise view, provides better...
The Federal CIO Council’s Federal Mobility Group (FMG) has released the final version of its in-depth international travel guidance report. The new document details a series of best practices agencies can adopt to safeguard Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE) mobile devices—mobile phones, tablets, and laptop computers—against attacks while in use during travel...
The Nation’s response to the pandemic has highlighted that our society not only uses technology but is also profoundly reliant on technology in our daily lives. We can go to work, school, shop, work out, and watch newly released movies all from the comfort of our home. We have come...
The Federal CIO Council’s Federal Mobility Group (FMG) announces release of a draft report that presents in a handy reference guide the best practices and lessons-learned for the use of government-furnished equipment (GFE) such as mobile devices by federal employees on international travel. The FMG seeks public comment on the...
When I was asked to write about cybersecurity careers for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), my first thoughts circled back to how my career started. This was the late 1990s and although we were several years past such landmarks as the Rainbow Series (government computer security guidelines), the Morris Worm...
October 1st marks the beginning of the 18th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Once again, the Federal Cybersecurity Information Security Officer (CISO) Council is proud to reinforce its commitment to safe and secure online behavior. Remote work continues to be the ‘new normal’, and cybercriminals are ramping up their focus on...
As we welcome the fall season, we also welcome National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). As the Co-Chair of the Federal CISO Council, I find NCSAM to be a time of reflection over the past year; recognizing what we accomplished. We grew as a Council and a federal Cybersecurity workforce. By...
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework is a cybersecurity workforce framework that categorizes and describes the cybersecurity workforce. The 2017 OPM memo directing agencies to assign cybersecurity codes to IT, Cybersecurity, and Cyber-Related functions led to the development of the NICE framework. <img src=”/assets/images/blog/nice-framework.png” alt=”nice framework” display: block;...
This month marks the four-year anniversary of National Supply Chain Integrity Month—an initiative established by Federal agencies to raise awareness of pervasive threats to U.S. supply chains. Most recently, the SolarWinds incident has brought increased public attention to software supply chain hacks and further illustrates the need for greater awareness....
Tags: Cybersecurity; 2020 This year has brought cybersecurity to the forefront of everyone’s mind. As a community, we had to come together and found ourselves thrust into an environment facing challenges which not only affected our agencies, but our community as a whole. We pivoted to an increased telework environment...
FMG Offers Mobile Security Advice for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Introduction It’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, meaning there’s no better time for agency CIOs and CISOs to reexamine the cybersecurity and cyber hygiene of their agency’s mobile devices. As this year’s NCSAM theme states: “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart!” Agency-managed mobile...
NCSAM CISO Council Blog Post As it happens, National Cybersecurity Month is in October, when tricks and treats abound, and people are searching for safe ways to enjoy Halloween. Although I can’t help with your Halloween celebrations, I can talk about cybersecurity and ways to avoid falling prey to social...
Introduction (James Saunders, CISO) Social media enables people to communicate, share, and seek information at an accelerated rate. In recent years, social media became the pinnacle of news consumption through its rapid dissemination, low costs, and its accessibility to consumers worldwide.[1] Often breaking and sensitive news is first made available...
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity for the Federal Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) Council to share, with all federal employees and contractors, tips and information to combat malicious cyber actors seeking to compromise federal information systems and data. Last year, when I said that the CISO Council was...
Cybersecurity Experts Provide Remote Work Best Practices Millions of federal workers are now working from their homes because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This expansive telecommuting activity has increased the potential of sensitive government projects and information being exposed to unauthorized individuals. The CIO Council’s Federal Mobility Group recognizes the importance...
Technology Business Management (TBM) aligns cost to IT services to improve delivery and efficiency, meaning this framework can be leveraged successfully amongst Executive Leadership across agencies. TBM will ultimately empower agency CIOs to better understand and communicate the business and mission value of IT spending to senior executives, mission support...
Reflecting on the Past Looking back over this last year is a moment of pride and accomplishment for the Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) Council. When I joined the council as co-chair last October, I remember there was a tremendous amount of ideas, positions and new faces in the CISO...
Cyber Security Skills at a Small Agency During my first month working as an IT Security Specialist in a small Federal agency, we experienced a cyber incident. As our response unfolded, I found myself playing a full cast of characters, a much broader role than the job title alone might...
During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we recognize that malicious cyber actors seek to compromise federal information systems and data in order to steal information the government holds on behalf of and about the American people. While the number of cybersecurity incidents at Federal agencies decreased by 12% in FY 2018,...
Washington - Today, the Office of Management and Budget, the CIO Council and the Department of Education announced the first Federal Cyber Reskilling Academy (FCRA) pilot program. This program offers Federal employees the opportunity for hands-on training in cybersecurity, one of the fastest growing fields in the country. This reskilling...
Americans are spending more time online than ever before. As more people use the Internet for online shopping, banking, financial management, and socializing, they also expose themselves to increased cyber risks. Online threats and cyber-attacks threaten the future of our national and economic security. Because cybersecurity is important to our...
This proclamation was first posted on White House.gov on September 28th, 2018. During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we acknowledge the danger that cyber threats pose to our economy and public infrastructure, and raise awareness about steps we can take to mitigate and prevent future attacks. As these threats have continued...
One of the key pillars of the President’s Management Agenda is to Modernize IT to Improve Productivity and Security. A central pillar of the Administration’s IT Modernization strategy is to improve the skills, leadership abilities, and overall pipeline of talent in the Federal government to address our growing cybersecurity threats....
HTTPS is a necessary baseline for security on the modern web. Non-secure HTTP connections lack integrity protection, and can be used to attack citizens, foreign nationals, and government staff. HTTPS provides increased confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity that mitigate these attacks. In June 2015, the White House required all new federal...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently held a highly successful cybersecurity hiring event and I want to share some of the lessons we learned in hopes that others might be inspired to try it for their agencies. The most important lesson learned from our experience is the value of...
As the first U.S. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), I am honored to be a part of a dynamic community across government working to improve our country’s cybersecurity posture. Throughout my career in military and federal service, and a few stints in the private industry, one of the most important...
In February, President Obama announced a Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) that takes a series of short-term and long-term actions to improve our cybersecurity posture within the Federal Government and across the country. The CNAP builds upon a comprehensive series of actions over the last nearly eight years that have...
On Tuesday, July 12th OMB and OPM published the first ever Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Strategy, which is now available on the WhiteHouse.gov. The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Strategy details a series of near-term actions to identify, expand, recruit, develop, retain, and sustain a capable and competent workforce in key functional areas...
This blog entry was originally published on the White House blog. Here are a few answers to questions you might have about the President’s new Cybersecurity National Action Plan. “I’m confident we can unleash the full potential of American innovation, and ensure our prosperity and security online for the generations...
Strengthening the cybersecurity of Federal networks, systems, and data is one of the most important challenges we face as a Nation. Every day, public and private sector leaders – my team included – are directing significant resources to address this ever-growing problem. Yet as cyber threats increase in severity, so...
From the beginning of the Administration, the President has made it clear that cybersecurity is one of the most important challenges we face as a Nation. It is also an ever-growing and constantly changing challenge. For years, whenever I’ve spoken with private and public sector leaders, I’ve regularly asked them...
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