President Trump has called on American citizens to acknowledge in November the role of critical infrastructure in boosting national and economic security.

By proclaiming November as Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, the government reaffirms its goal of strengthening critical infrastructure such as such as power grids, water and food supplies and transportation systems to protect the U.S. from artificial and natural threats, the White House said Wednesday.

Trump noted there is a need for the federal government and its partners to prioritize the protection of the election infrastructure as the next U.S. elections will be held within the month.

He added that increased collaboration between the public and private sectors will help further prevent cyber actors from virtually harming the U.S. critical infrastructure.

Trump said that addressing risks to critical infrastructure will help keep the U.S. safe.

The Commerce Department will soon issue a guidance on Internet-of-Things security issues, MeriTalk reported Wednesday.

Katerina Megas, program manager for IoT cybersecurity at the National Institute of Science and Technology, said the draft map for IoT security will probably come out in the “next couple weeks”, and efforts for its arrival might be spearheaded by, aside from the DOC and NIST, the Federal Trade Commission and the private sector.

The IoT security roadmap initiative is a follow-up of the department’s delivery early 2018 of a report on botnets calling for the coverage of IoT devices in security applications.

Megas added during a panel discussion at Symantec‘s 2018 government symposium that the guideline might contain updates regarding regulation of connected devices.

John Mills, principal director and partner at Cyber Asymetrics Associates and ex-director of cybersecurity policy, strategy and international affairs at the Defense Department, said a lack of IoT security is influenced by a deficiency in public infrastructure policies designed to operate digital certificates and handle public-key encryption.

 

Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent has said her office plans to launch programs that will help address gaps in the federal information technology workforce, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

Kent noted at the Symantec Government Symposium that the government will boost its efforts in recruiting entry-level IT employees and retraining existing personnel who are capable of undertaking tasks in cybersecurity.

She added that she will work to sustain the government’s investments in the IT workforce, with new budget negotiations scheduled to commence in December.

The Office of Personnel Management recently proposed revising rules in authorizing agency heads to immediately address any shortage in IT employees instead of waiting more than 100 days to fill an open position.

The government also established Centers of Excellence at the Departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Affairs in an effort to share cyber talent with the private sector.

Kent also shared that the government seeks to guide agencies in setting their expectations for IT employees, as well as increasing the mobility of IT employees to help them grow in their careers.

Defense Department Comptroller David Norquist recently said that the DoD will need the help of contractors to address the issues that the agency’s first-ever audit will reveal, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

Speaking at the Professional Services Council’s 2018 Vision Federal Market Forecast conference, Norquist described the agency-wide audit as “a laundry list of problems” but also an opportunity for the industry to offer solutions.

For this reason, Norquist said that businesses should take note of the audit’s reports, which will be released to the Office of Management and Budget on Nov. 15.

At the same PSC event, Norquist defended the $1B audit by calling it a service to taxpayers.

The official also said refraining from conducting the audit would have been “a dangerous way to look at the world.”

The U.S. Navy has started consolidating plans to adopt and employ an arsenal of modern mine countermeasure systems as its aging systems are set to retire soon, USNI News reported Wednesday.

Maj. Gen. David Coffman, director of expeditionary warfare for the office of the chief of naval operations, said that he is coordinating with various Navy organizations and stakeholders to plan for the service’s transition to advanced MCM technologies, as well as discuss any concerns with risks and costs.

He added that there is a need for the service to arrange its strategy for future operations on new fleets equipped with advanced sensors and capabilities.

However, Coffman noted that the Navy needs to wait for certain system components to be developed or replicated as some old and new mine warfare systems do not possess the same capabilities.

​​​​​​The initial MCM planning team will meet with the Naval Board and Adm. Chris Grady, commander of the Fleet Forces Command, in the upcoming months to encourage the participation of Navy and Marine Corps leaders and other operators in the effort.

A final strategy is expected to be presented to Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, and Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, before 2018 ends.

John Sherman, chief information officer of the Intelligence Community, has said he plans to hold in two weeks a meeting of CIOs from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. to address issues with regard to intelligence data sharing and collaboration, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

“We’ve been able at some level to collaborate with our Five Eyes allied partners for a number of years, and there’s been some notable strides in terms of more seamless email, connectivity, video teleconferencing, phone,” he said at an event hosted by George Washington University and Fed Insider.

Sherman said he wants to expand the use of chat and other communication platforms with member countries of the Five Eyes alliance to facilitate sharing of intelligence information.

He noted that he has invited other stakeholders to take part in the meeting to help the alliance identify existing capabilities that could be leveraged for enterprise requirements.
 

Defense Secretary James Mattis has said the Pentagon developed the National Defense Strategy by assessing threats from the angles of power, will and urgency, Defense.gov reported Wednesday.

“In terms of raw power right now, I look at Russia and the nuclear arsenal they have,” Mattis said Tuesday during a discussion at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.

He said the Defense Department considers North Korea’s nuclear missile program and violent extremism as the two most “urgent” threats.

“In terms of will, clearly it is China,” he noted.

Mattis cited the country’s efforts to cooperate with China and further build up its partnership with allies in support of the strategy.

He offered updates on the South Asia Strategy launched in 2017 and its implications for Afghan forces.
 

The Department of Homeland Security has established a task force in charge of addressing issues in the global information and communications technology supply chain.

DHS said Tuesday the ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force consists of information technology and communications representatives from the public and private sector who will develop practices for resolving supply chain concerns in the long run.

John Miller, vice president for policy and law at Information Technology Industry Council and co-chair of the task force, noted that the new group will help industry and the government to jointly tackle global supply chain risks that companies and their customers face.

The ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force will operate under the National Protection and Programs Directorate’s Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management Program, which supports federal executive branch agencies, private critical infrastructure firms and governments in all levels in mitigating supply chain threats.

The task force will hold its initial meeting in the upcoming weeks and finalize its objectives and members afterwards.

The Office of Personnel Management seeks comments on a proposal to modify rules in direct hire authorities (DHA) to address shortages in IT government employees.

A Federal Register notice posted Monday says the effort complies with an executive order President Trump issued in May that directs OPM to assign authorities who will determine if there is a need to urgently hire IT management personnel.

The individuals recruited through DHA will hold their positions from one to four years, and it will be up to the agency’s discretion to extend the IT employee’s tenure, but that tenure is not to exceed eight years.

The government currently lacks rules providing authorities in direct hiring apart from OPM.

OPM will accept comments on its proposal until Dec. 28.