DHS Moves to Strengthen Cybersecurity Across Transportation Industry

The Department of Homeland Security will require organizations across the transportation industry to share cybersecurity information.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced the move at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in the midst of the agency’s fourth 60-day cyber sprint focused on transportation security.

Under the information sharing requirement, Mayorkas said 2,300 maritime entities will have to submit their cybersecurity plans to the Coast Guard and follow up on any weaknesses identified in those plans, FCW reported.

The Coast Guard has moved to the frontlines of cybersecurity, having deployed cybersecurity personnel to U.S. ports to supervise planning, response and recovery.

The Transportation Security Administration, a DHS component, will also issue a new set of rules directing high-risk air and rail transit entities to report cyberattacks to the government.

The forthcoming directive, which is expected to be modeled after a mandate issued to pipeline operators, will also require the appointment of cybersecurity coordinators and the establishment of a contingency and recovery plan.

According to Mayorkas, similar guidance for low-risk air and rail entities and an information circular recommending cyber self-assessments will be released as well.

The DHS launched its first cyber sprint in March in a bid to address the growing threat of ransomware. The second one focused on filling in open cybersecurity roles in the government while the third sprint was aimed at improving industrial control systems security.

Cyber sprints on safeguarding election security and building international partnerships on cybersecurity are expected to follow.