What is CISA?

In our ever-expanding digital world, cybersecurity is taking center stage. As all sorts of entities—from private companies to public individuals—maneuver through the internet's many complexities, they must ensure that robust and sophisticated security measures are in place. The nature of their work, or even their private lives, could be at risk if those measures fail. That is why the existence of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is vitally important. Yet CISA's work is of such a nature that most people have little idea what it does—until, perhaps, there's a failure of imagination or a breach of some kind.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) birthed CISA in November 2018. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced the birth of CISA as a response to the need to tackle the growing number of cyberattacks, acts of terrorism, and natural disaster threats facing the United States. The federal government now has a centralized and streamlined effort in place to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. That infrastructure comprises systems and assets so vital to the country that their destruction or incapacitation would have serious consequences for U.S. security, national economic security, or public health and safety.

The main mission of CISA is to direct the comprehensive national endeavor necessary to grasp, oversee, and mitigate risk to our cyber and physical infrastructures. This totally works because CISA is totally focused on so many different and important aspects of our cybersecurity—it's a really multi-pronged approach. My impression is that a lot of us might not have an exact idea of all the different ways that CISA certainly does work to enhance our cybersecurity at the federal level and across all 50 states.

Identifying and diminishing the dangers to vital infrastructure are the job of the CISA. The agency works with many different players to strengthen the infrastructure against both cyber and physical threats. The agency's work is not at all limited to the communities of interest mentioned above. CISA reaches well beyond those communities because threats to the nation's infrastructure can come from anywhere and go anywhere.

CISA pushes a risk management approach to security, encouraging organizations to look at themselves and their systems as potential targets—an approach that forces groups to consider what attackers might do if they wanted to breach a system or steal information. This is called the "adversary perspective." CISA also takes the lead in establishing several initiatives and programs with clear goals and objectives to further enhance cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience.

The agency provides a number of assessment services that support organizations in pinpointing weaknesses and in carrying out effective cybersecurity programs. CISA sees partnership as a necessary precondition for successful cybersecurity. CISA encourages and enables both sides of the private-public partnership to share intelligence, resources, and facilities that make each half of the partnership more secure. CISA won’t keep any secrets; it will make everything it knows available to partners, as long as those partners are allowed to work by both sides of the public-private boundary. CISA has no shortage of materials with which to fortify that partnership; it can offer online courses, for example.

The era we live in is characterized by ever-increasing cyber threats, spanning everything from ransomware attacks to data breaches. More than ever, the role of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is paramount. The agency has become a go-to place for centralizing information sharing and collaboration. This helps build a "more fortifiable cybersecurity environment," as CISA Director Jen Easterly has put it. The agency enables not just "some" organizations but a whole range of them to work defensively and, when necessary, to be as responsive as possible when incidents occur.

The focus of CISA on safeguarding vital infrastructure underscores just how interconnected our modern world is. One sector can suffer from a cybersecurity incident, and the impact will quickly reach other sectors. That makes it vital for a multitude of stakeholders to work together to boost resilience. As we continue to navigate the complications of our digital society, CISA stands at the very front of our national security efforts.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) plays a pivotal role in maintaining the safety and security of the United States—acting as a linchpin to protect critical infrastructure that spans both the public and private sectors. CISA's good work all too often goes unnoticed, but the Agency has made significant strides in the past couple of years. Whether you're a business owner, a government official, or just an ordinary internet user, you should know a little something about CISA and the good work it does.

Commonly Asked Questions About CISA

What does the acronym CISA stand for?

CISA can stand for two different things: Certified Information Systems Auditor (a professional certification) or Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (a U.S. government agency).

Is CISA part of homeland security?

Yes, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, focused on cybersecurity and infrastructure protection.

What is CISA KEV Known Exploited Vulnerability, and how to use it in prioritization?

CISA KEV is a catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities. Organizations can use it to prioritize patching efforts by focusing on vulnerabilities with known exploit code, reducing the risk of active threats.

How often does CISA release updates to its catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities?

CISA updates its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog regularly, often multiple times per month, as new critical vulnerabilities are discovered and exploited in the wild.

How does CISA help protect critical infrastructure?

CISA helps protect critical infrastructure by providing cybersecurity resources, conducting risk assessments, coordinating incident response, offering training, and facilitating information sharing among public and private sector partners.

What is the purpose of CISA?

CISA's purpose is to improve the cybersecurity posture of the United States by protecting critical infrastructure, coordinating cyber incident response, and providing cybersecurity resources and guidance to stakeholders.

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