DHS holds international training exercise to vet cyber defense of critical infrastructure

More than 1,000 private-sector stakeholders recently took part in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cyber Storm VI training exercise featuring a simulated cyber crisis.

The multi-sector training scenario enabled stakeholders to vet cybersecurity training, policies, procedures, and responses to targeted cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. The scenario required the federal government, state governments, the private sector, and international partners to coordinate a response.

Jeanette Manfra, the National Protection and Programs Directorate assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, said training exercises are critical to building and maintaining strong relationships among the cyber incident response community.

“Cyber threats to government networks and other critical infrastructure are one of our nation’s most pressing security challenges,” Manfra said. “Consequences from attacks threaten the safety and security of the homeland, our economic competitiveness, and our way of life. With the majority of critical infrastructure owned and operated by the private sector, securing cyberspace is only possible through close collaboration, what we described as a ‘collective defense’ model of shared responsibility.”

An after-action conference will be held to discuss high-level findings of the training scenario. The findings will also be incorporated into an after-action report.

“This information, along with the lessons from previous exercises and real-world incidents, is integral for strengthening the Nation’s capacity to respond to a cyber incident,” Manfra said. “It also assists DHS in creating more challenging scenarios to test the security and resiliency of their partners in the years to come.”