White House Memo Aims to Improve Critical Infrastructure Security

A White House memo aims to intensify the federal government’s efforts to improve the cyber posture of the nation’s critical infrastructure sector.

On Tuesday, the White House National Security Council issued the “National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience,” a document that builds on the achievements of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other federal agencies in protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.

The document comes with several goals, including empowering the Department of Homeland Security to lead an effort safeguarding critical infrastructure and reaffirming the designation of 16 critical infrastructure sectors, CISA .gov reported.

CISA Director Jen Easterly has been advocating for enhancing the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities amid growing threats from Russia, China and other foreign governments.

The memo’s release comes on the same day Easterly, a 2024 Wash100 winner, discussed before a House committee the importance of properly funding CISA and other cybersecurity initiatives of the Biden administration.