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| CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency |
| Formed | 2018 |
| Preceding agency | National Protection and Programs Directorate |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) is a United States federal agency responsible for enhancing the security, resilience, and reliability of critical infrastructure and cyber networks. It operates within the executive branch, coordinating with cabinet departments, independent agencies, and international partners to address threats from state actors, non-state actors, and criminal organizations. The agency evolved from predecessors focused on physical and cyber protection and now serves as a central hub for national cyber defense, incident response, and infrastructure risk management.
The agency traces roots to organizations created after September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina to protect national assets, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency reforms and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 restructuring. Its immediate predecessor, the National Protection and Programs Directorate, consolidated authorities from offices formed after events such as the 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and the Stuxnet revelations, which influenced policy debates in the United States Congress and at the Department of Homeland Security. The formal elevation to an independent agency occurred under the CISA Act of 2018 legislative process, shaped by bipartisan concerns following incidents like the 2016 United States elections cyberattacks and high-profile compromises at entities including Equifax. Subsequent organizational changes reflected lessons from responses to incidents such as the 2013 Target data breach and the 2014 Sony Pictures hack.
CISA's mission encompasses cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and resilience across sectors designated by the Presidential Policy Directive 21 and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Responsibilities include risk identification for entities like Department of Defense suppliers, coordination with regulators such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and support to critical owners/operators including utilities tied to North American Electric Reliability Corporation standards and aviation entities like the Federal Aviation Administration. CISA issues binding operational guidance during emergencies similar to actions taken by agencies during the Hurricane Maria recovery and partners with public health authorities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during biological risk events.
The agency is organized into directorates mirroring functions found in large federal bodies such as components of the Department of Homeland Security and analogs in allied institutions like the National Cyber Security Centre (United Kingdom). Senior leadership roles interface with offices including those similar to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, liaison desks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and coordination channels with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's regional personnel placed near state entities like California and New York. Field operations and technical units collaborate with sector-specific agencies like the United States Coast Guard for maritime infrastructure and the Environmental Protection Agency for water system protection.
CISA administers programs comparable to national initiatives such as the CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University and partners on frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Notable initiatives include information-sharing mechanisms like the Information Sharing and Analysis Center model, vulnerability disclosure processes inspired by practices at Microsoft and Google, and resilience exercises akin to Cyber Storm and TOPOFF exercises. The agency leads efforts on supply chain risk management paralleling work by Office of Management and Budget directives and develops guidance for technologies from vendors including Cisco Systems and Amazon Web Services.
CISA maintains formal and informal collaborations with international organizations such as NATO, bilateral partners like the United Kingdom, and multilateral entities including the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. Domestic partnerships span state and local authorities exemplified by cooperation with the National Governors Association and with academic institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The agency engages with private-sector stakeholders from firms like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, CrowdStrike, and Mandiant to leverage threat intelligence, coordinate incident responses, and standardize best practices across sectors including finance supported by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
CISA's statutory basis arises from congressional enactments and executive directives linked to measures like the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Its authorities intersect with regulatory frameworks administered by entities such as the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, influencing policy debates on liability, mandatory breach reporting, and critical infrastructure designation processes used in interactions with corporate actors such as Equifax and SolarWinds. CISA's guidance has informed legislation and executive orders, including directives issued in the context of responses to threats attributed to actors like Sandworm and nation-states implicated in incidents tied to NotPetya.
The agency has been central to national responses to high-profile incidents, coordinating assistance after campaigns like the SolarWinds cyberattack and ransomware outbreaks attributed to groups linked to REvil and DarkSide. CISA issued emergency directives and mitigations during compromises affecting federal networks and critical suppliers, drawing on partnerships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency. It has also supported recovery efforts following disruptive events comparable to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and advised on defensive measures during election security concerns observed around the 2016 United States elections cyberattacks and subsequent election cycles.
Category:United States federal agencies Category:Cybersecurity