CISA Releases Security Planning Workbook to Assist Organizations with their Preparedness Goals

This week, CISA published a new resource, Security Planning Workbook, which can assist critical infrastructure owners and operators with developing a foundational security plan. This workbook is designed to be flexible and scalable to suit the needs of most organizations.

With September being National Preparedness Month (NPM), which reminds organizations of the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could occur at any time, designing and documenting a security plan should be one of the first steps in an organization’s preparedness activities. The workbook is intended for any individual who is involved with an organization’s security planning efforts, including those with varying degrees of security expertise, who are charged with the safety and security of facilities and people. Notably, the workbook offers detailed guidance for conducting risk assessments and vulnerability assessments, which are important for helping determine security countermeasures that are necessary to mitigate specific threats to a utility’s personnel and facilities. It is divided into six main sections: forming a planning team, the risk assessment process, mitigation considerations, additional elements of your security plan, finalizing your plan, and supplemental planning options. This product also provides descriptions of critical elements of security planning, offers a multitude of resources, and includes fillable fields to guide stakeholders through the planning process. Access the full workbook at CISA.