It has been announced that November has been proclaimed Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month by President Biden. The POTUS has placed emphasis on the significance of security awareness and action to ensure critical infrastructure resilience and outlined steps the Administration has taken to defend critical infrastructure from both physical attacks and cyber cyber-attacks. Biden stated the following: ‘When our critical infrastructure shows signs of wear, everyday Americans pay the price. When powerful storms and forest fires — made more frequent and ferocious by climate change — shut down energy grids, families can lose power for weeks. When unsecure networks are hacked, critical services can go offline, and businesses can suffer huge losses. When bridges collapse and first responders must travel further to reach disaster sites, Americans can die. Crumbling infrastructure around the world affects us at home as well: Extreme weather, cyberattacks, and other disasters have ripple effects, threatening global stability and disrupting supply chains everywhere.’
Biden proceeded to explain his reasoning for the support towards the development of the United States Infrastructure. He mentioned signing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law agreement in 2021, to inject significant investment into America’s roads, buildings, and other infrastructure. Additionally, the funding would contribute towards clean water and reduce the use of lead-based pipes. The President detailed the federal agencies operating I the country who are placing more emphasis of the private sector, to align their goals with that of critical infrastructure. This will mitigate the rate and damage of cyberattacks in years to come. Biden said, ‘I have reinvigorated the National Infrastructure Advisory Council to advise on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of our Nation’s critical infrastructure sectors.’
CISA has also released a set of cybersecurity performance goals for critical infrastructure organizations as part of this initiative to direct their cybersecurity efforts and assist them in meeting minimum cybersecurity standards.
