The National Security Agency has published a report to help network and system administrators configure a firewall security tool that protects devices from traditional and modern risks.

The The Cybersecurity Technical Report, “Cisco Firepower Hardening Guide,” outlines best practices to upgrade Cisco Firepower Threat Defense systems from traditional firewall policies and capabilities, NSA said Wednesday.

Cisco Firepower is a next-generation firewall with a combined operating system that has both application and network layer security features and more modern components that offer application and visibility controls, URL filtering, user identity and authentication, malware protection and intrusion prevention, according to the report.

Organizations that use the firewall are encouraged to implement the recommendations listed in the report to boost network defenses.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Communications Commission hosted a workshop with government agency partners to discuss the need to address security vulnerabilities associated with the Border Gateway Protocol, a set of technical rules that enables data routing on the internet, CISA Director Jen Easterly and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel shared in a joint blog post published Wednesday.

The workshop included discussions on measures that should be taken to bolster the security of internet traffic routing, protections the FCC should implement to safeguard the nation’s communications networks from BGP-related risks and how the public and private sectors can best collaborate to advance the implementation of best practices and standards to mitigate negative impacts posed by these vulnerabilities.

In the blog post, Easterly, a two-time Wash100 awardee, and Rosenworcel commended network operators and internet service providers that have allocated resources to implement Route Origin Validation and Resource Key Public Infrastructure.

They also called on all network operators, chief information officers and chief information security officers to inform ISPs about the significance of BGP security and Route Origin Validation implementation.

The two leaders noted that CISA is working with the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the National Cyber Director to create a roadmap for agencies to reach the recommended BGP security practices.

“BGP security is a global problem that requires a community solution, and we look forward to continuing our partnership and making real progress in the coming year,” they added.

John Sherman, chief information officer for the Department of Defense and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient, has approved the department’s new 2023-2027 Cyber Workforce Strategy Implementation Plan.

The plan will guide the DOD as it carries out its work to recruit, develop and retain a strong cyber workforce, the department announced on Wednesday.

“Maintaining a highly skilled cyber workforce is vital to protecting our Nation against global cyber threats,” Sherman commented.

He elaborated on the plan, saying that it will “take progressive measures” to create a workforce that is “flexible and responsive in an ever-changing cyber domain.”

The strategy is built on four major goals – consistently conducting capability assessment and analysis processes, establishing an enterprise-wide talent management program, changing internal culture and encouraging collaboration – that will inform the execution of 22 objectives and 38 initiatives. Each step of the strategy is designed to help the DOD cultivate an agile, flexible and responsive cyber workforce.

To ensure the success of the plan, the DOD will continuously collect feedback to monitor its progress. Department components will build and adapt action planning efforts as needed to bring these goals to fruition.

“Our goal is to ensure we are not only finding and hiring a diverse group of highly skilled cyber professionals but also develop the tools, resources, and partnerships required to continue growing these individuals,” said Patrick Johnson, director of the Workforce Innovation Directorate.