Summary: MS-ISAC recently released a new report titled “Strengthening Critical Infrastructure,” highlighting the growing cyber threats to critical infrastructure and the essential role of information sharing between state and local government organizations in national security. The report brings awareness to a surge of attacks by nation-state-affiliated and other criminal groups targeting state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) installations that often contribute to undermining public trust.

Analyst Note: The unrelenting attacks facing U.S. critical infrastructure, when successful, have significant and costly direct impacts on government services and undermine American’s confidence in the nation’s ability to defend itself. Critical infrastructure underpins nearly all aspects of society and the threats that critical infrastructure faces require a national-level response. MS-ISAC draws awareness to the critical role that SLTT and information sharing organizations play in providing this response in the report:

“Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) provide significant support to many SLTT organizations. For instance, ISACs like WaterISAC and the Electricity ISAC support SLTT organizations in those SLTT subsectors as part of the broader water and electricity critical infrastructure sectors, respectively.”

MS-ISAC’s report is very helpful in understanding the relationship between SLTT and information sharing organizations and how these relationships provide a critical service to the various sectors they oversee. In other words, information sharing is critical for the organizations that make up the critical services American citizens rely on.

Original Source: https://learn.cisecurity.org/strengthening-critical-infrastructure-sltt-progress-priorities-brief-report-vol1

Additional Reading:

• Strengthening Critical Infrastructure: SLTT Progress & Priorities
• MS-ISAC warns of rising cyber threats to SLTT installations, urges enhanced resilience and coordination

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 6, 12