CISA Releases Cybersecurity Telework Product Line

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security has introduced a dedicated telework product line to address cybersecurity risks amid the pandemic-induced work-from-home set up in the country.

As indicated in the agency’s statement, the product line, which factored in input from federal and private sector partners, is aimed at putting forward cybersecurity considerations that are needed when adopting or expanding telework policies, such as the use of video conferencing software and related collaboration tools, MeriTalk reported.

One of the five initial considerations outlined on the product line focuses on cybersecurity recommendations for critical infrastructure using video conferencing, particularly on tactics that cyber actors might use to disrupt business or steal information, as well as countermeasures for organizational enterprise networks and end-users to follow.

The agency also offered cybersecurity recommendations for federal agencies using video conferencing. Here, the agency brings into focus enterprise security practices that include the use of FedRAMP-authorized products for agencies with cloud services, best practices for end-users exclusively using agency-approved software and tools for business, as well as adversarial tactics that seek to acquire federal government information.

Additionally, the product line contains guidance for securing video conferencing and video conferencing at large.

The last recommendation highlights National Security Agency and CISA telework best practices, which offer basic advice for safe and secure teleworking, primarily for government employees.

CISA Director Chris Krebs, a 2020 Wash100 winner, said the agency, together with its partners across the federal and private sectors, aims to continue expanding the “one-stop-shop of cybersecurity and resources” as the threat of cyberattacks continues to evolve.