DHS Secretary Nielsen issues cybersecurity statement

On May 30, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen released the following statement regarding the Department’s role in executing President Trump’s Executive Order 13800 Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure:

“Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order 13800, DHS has developed ways to improve our protection of the federal networks, work more collaboratively with our private sector partners, and reduce the threat of automated cyber-attacks from botnets. The work undertaken reflects months of extensive research and collaboration with the private sector.

“DHS has recommended ways to improve our federal risk posture and modernize the federal IT enterprise. Additionally, the Department has outlined how it will prioritize private sector access to tailored intelligence and capabilities in order to mitigate risk where a cybersecurity incident could result in catastrophic effects. Lastly, DHS worked closely with the Department of Commerce in crafting recommendations to improve the resilience of the Internet of Things ecosystem and dramatically reduce the ever-growing botnet threat.

“As the world becomes more interconnected, it also becomes more difficult to secure, and our work pursuant to E.O. 13800 will help the Department confront this challenge. One of DHS’s core missions is to protect our nation against cyber threats and we are committed to achieving, with the help of our partners in the public and private sectors, a secure and resilient cyberspace.”

Source: DHS