DHS Stands on Cyber 'Front Lines,' Agency Tells Congress

The Department of Homeland Security is on the "front lines" of federal government efforts to defend critical infrastructure from cyberthreats, terrorism and natural disaster, said officials from the agency's National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) at a House Homeland Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing Tuesday. "We must ensure that NPPD is appropriately organized to address cybersecurity threats both now and in the future," said Christopher Krebs, senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary, and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, hopes the House will advance legislation he introduced to elevate NPPD as a stand-alone agency so it can better support DHS' cybersecurity mission. In a prepared statement, McCaul said he was pleased with President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure: With October designated to raise awareness of cybersecurity (see 1710020057), it's time to "learn more about these threats and offer ideas on how we can best secure ourselves."