Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said he wants to use additional funding for fiscal year 2020 to provide more technical assistance to stakeholders to better protect critical infrastructures, FCW reported Wednesday. He said Congress should give the same level of focus on other infrastructures as it does on election security.Â
“Outside of federal networks, I don’t think I have another critical infrastructure sector that Congress has invested specifically to that level,” Krebs told the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation Subcommittee.Â
CISA’s lead then called for extra budget to “significantly expand” the agency’s engagement with stakeholders in security of critical infrastructures.
“We have to do more to get out there and engage, but once we do, we have to be able to follow through,” he said.
The request comes after the agency issued a list of national critical functions detailing the services and activities of government partners that significantly contribute to national security and economy. The Department of Homeland Security intends to use the list to develop protection strategies and determine priority areas.Â
