On April 30, President Biden signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) to secure and enhance the resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure. The NSM will replace a decade-old presidential policy document on critical infrastructure protection and launch a comprehensive effort to protect U.S. infrastructure against all threats and hazards, current and future.
The NSM will help ensure U.S. critical infrastructure can provide the nation a strong and innovative economy, protect American families, and enhance collective resilience to disasters before they happen – strengthening the nation for generations to come. This NSM specifically:
Empowers the Department of Homeland Security to lead the whole-of-government effort to secure U.S. critical infrastructure, with the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency acting as the National Coordinator for Security and Resilience. The Secretary of Homeland Security will be required to submit to the President a biennial National Risk Management Plan that summarizes U.S. government efforts to manage risk to the Nation’s critical infrastructure.
Directs the U.S. Intelligence Community, consistent with the goals outlined in the 2023 National Intelligence Strategy, to collect, produce and share intelligence and information with Federal departments and agencies, State and local partners, and the owners and operators of critical infrastructure. The NSM recognizes private sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure are often our first line of defense against adversaries who target the nation’s most critical assets and systems.
Reaffirms the designation of 16 critical infrastructure sectors and a federal department or agency as the Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) for each sector. SRMAs have the day-to-day relationships and sector specific expertise to lead risk management and coordination within the designated sectors.
Elevates the importance of minimum security and resilience requirements within and across critical infrastructure sectors, consistent with the National Cyber Strategy, which recognizes the limits of a voluntary approach to risk management in the current threat environment.
Review the National Security Memorandum.
Source: White House
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By Loren Blinde
May 14, 2024
