Priya PatelTLDR:
- Federal IT officials are urging the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to strengthen security standards and coordination with government agencies.
- The lack of operating standards regarding threat information sharing is a concern.
- Deeper collaborations between agencies part of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative are encouraged to address cybersecurity risks.
Federal IT officials have called upon the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to strengthen security standards and coordination with other government agencies. While CISA has been effective in advancing cybersecurity across the federal government, concerns have been raised about the lack of operating standards regarding threat information sharing. Jeff King, the Department of the Treasury Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer, and Amber Pearson, the Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, noted this issue during a panel discussion.
Jeff Spaeth, the VA Deputy CISO and the Executive Director of Information Security Operations, stressed the need for deeper collaborations between agencies that are part of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative to better tackle cybersecurity risks. He praised the coordination efforts of such collaborations, particularly in sharing information quickly and reacting to close vulnerabilities.
This call for stronger security standards and improved coordination echoes sentiments expressed by the private sector in a House subcommittee hearing earlier in the week. The need for a more unified approach to cybersecurity and threat information sharing is evident.
It is important to address these concerns and strengthen CISA’s role in promoting cybersecurity across the federal government. By establishing clear operating standards for threat information sharing and fostering collaborations between agencies, the government can better protect critical infrastructure and enhance its overall cybersecurity posture.
