DHS Secretary’s Cybersecurity Vision Includes Addressing Ransomware, Industrial Control Systems, and On-the-Horizon Issues

On March 31, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas outlined his vision and roadmap for the Department’s cybersecurity efforts in a virtual address. He announced a series of 60-day cybersecurity “sprints” aimed at focusing DHS’s efforts on ransomware and industrial control systems, among other priorities. He called ransomware “a national security threat” and cited the incident at the water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida as a “powerful reminder” of the substantial risks to industrial control systems that need to be addressed. Secretary Mayorkas also discussed medium to long-term priorities that will have his personal attention, among them a need to think about supply chain risks holistically as highlighted by the recent SolarWinds exploitation campaign. With so many recent incidents in mind and to reference, he emphasized that efforts should not be “driven only by the crisis of the day” but that “we must get ahead of the curve and think long term,” to include “on-the-horizon issues.” Secretary Mayorkas said implementation of new technologies and systems to help facilitate this transition will be driven by the private sector, noting that DHS will start developing a plan for how it can assist. Read the transcript of Secretary Mayorkas’ address at DHS and an article at The Record.