Throughout October, in recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to raising awareness about how to combat the constant and ever-increasing threat from malicious cyber actors. Many of the Department’s component agencies play a lead role in strengthening the nation’s resilience across public and private sectors, investigating malicious cyber activity, and advancing cybersecurity alongside democratic values and principles.
“We work across our entire Department to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity. From the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to the Coast Guard, from the Secret Service to the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security is strengthening our partnerships with the private sector and informing the American people how best to secure their cyber footprint in an increasingly interconnected world,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “We help protect federal civilian departments and agencies, drive best practices, advise critical infrastructure owners and operators, and support schools, non-profit organizations, state and local authorities, election officials, and many others. We are proud to be a part of the public-private collaborative that is essential for our success.”
DHS has several cybersecurity initiatives, including the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, Shields Up, the creation of the Cyber Safety Review Board, and the announcement of $1 billion in cybersecurity grants for state and local partners.
- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to cyber and physical infrastructure.
- Transportation Security Administration: uses a combination of regulation and public-private partnerships to strengthen cyber resilience across the broad transportation network.
- The United States Coast Guard has broad authority to combat cyber threats and protect U.S. maritime interests both domestically and abroad.
- The United States Secret Service investigates cybercrime such as network intrusions and ransomware, access device fraud, ATM and point-of-sale system attacks, illicit financing operations and money laundering, identity theft, social engineering scams, and business email compromises.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations is a worldwide law enforcement leader in dark net and other cyber-related criminal investigations. HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) delivers computer-based technical services to support domestic and international investigations into cross-border crime. C3’s Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU) is a powerful tool in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children; the production, advertisement and distribution of child pornography; and child sex tourism.
- The Office of Policy leads the whole of federal government effort to coordinate, deconflict, and harmonize cyber incident reporting requirements through the Cyber Incident Reporting Council and engages international partners through a variety of efforts with the intent to enhance collective cybersecurity by raising awareness for stakeholders.
- The Office of the Chief Information Officer ensures strong cybersecurity practices within DHS, so that the Department may lead by example.
“Cybersecurity is not about technology; it’s about people. That’s why this year’s theme is ‘See Yourself in Cyber’ because it takes all of us—from network defenders to anyone with an internet connection—to make this country more cyber resilient,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Throughout the month, CISA will be engaged with partners across the country to focus on promoting cyber hygiene, building a more diverse cyber workforce, and strengthening the technology ecosystem underpinning the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day. Together, we will collaborate and innovate to make better cybersecurity a reality.”
“DHS is driving cybersecurity in this country in new and innovative ways,” said Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers. “From building institutions like the Cyber Safety Review Board and the Cyber Incident Reporting Council, to setting baseline security standards for industry, to strengthening international partnerships, DHS brings government and businesses together to protect our digital infrastructure.”
