Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience

The Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience (SECIR) division is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) primary point of engagement and coordination for national security/emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications and cybersecurity initiatives for both government and industry partners, and is the Executive Secretariat for the Joint Program Office for the NS/EP Communications Executive Committee. CS&C relies on SECIR to streamline coordination and engagement with external partners, while leveraging capabilities and significant subject matter expertise in order to meet stakeholder requirements.

Activities

SECIR conducts the following activities:

• Establishes and maintains the nation’s NS/EP communication and cybersecurity engagement initiatives by working with government and industry to promote and enhance the security and resilience of NS/EP communications and cyber infrastructure.
• Maintains meaningful lines of communication and engagement among critical infrastructure owners and operators; federal interagency partners; divisions within DHS; and state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies for cyber and NS/EP communications security and resilience.
• Leads the development of strategic risk assessments and the delivery of key mitigation capabilities to owners and operators that are designed to reduce risks to the nation’s critical cyber and NS/EP communications infrastructure.
• Leads the development and implementation of education, outreach, and awareness, and cyber workforce and NS/EP communications development initiatives.
• Maintains program management capabilities through requirements, development, and communications coordination with legal, intra-agency and interagency partners, and strategic planning.
• Operates multiple coordination, threat, and technical information and analytical collaboration exchanges to sustain partnerships that facilitate sharing actionable and relevant threat and vulnerability mitigation data in a secure environment on shared vulnerabilities in the Communications and Information Technology Sectors.
• Performs the communications infrastructure identification, prioritization, and protection functions pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, implemented through the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Communications and Information Technology Sector Specific Agency responsibilities are executed by SECIR, along with coordination with appropriate Sector and Government Coordinating Councils within the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council.
• Supports the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NTSAC), which is a Presidential Advisory Committee on NS/EP communications policy. SECIR coordinates the NSTAC work plan with several DHS advisory bodies that address cybersecurity and NS/EP communications, including the Enduring Security Framework under the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council.