CISA Urges Critical Infrastructure to Prepare for Months-Long Isolation Under CI Fortify
Summary
CISA’s CI Fortify initiative will assess critical infrastructure and help operators plan to maintain essential services for weeks to months while disconnected from IT and third-party connections, with isolation and recovery planning as key measures.
Key points
- CISA is urging critical infrastructure operators to prepare to deliver essential services for weeks to months while isolated.
- CI Fortify will conduct targeted technical assessments of operational technology in critical infrastructure sectors.
- The initiative focuses on reducing OT exposure to attacks entering through business IT systems or third-party vendors.
- CISA’s recommended preparations include backups, system documentation, manual operating procedures, and plans for acceptable service levels during isolation.
- CISA has begun pilot assessments with unnamed organizations supporting national security, public health, safety, and economic continuity.
- CISA says Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon remain threats to critical infrastructure.
Article Details
- Event Type
- CISA launched the CI Fortify initiative and urged critical infrastructure operators to prepare to maintain essential services while operational technology is isolated from IT and third-party connections.
- Impact
- The initiative will conduct targeted technical assessments and develop isolation and recovery plans intended to help critical infrastructure entities continue operating for weeks to months while disconnected. CISA says Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon remain active threats to U.S. critical infrastructure; no specific damage or service disruption from this announcement was reported.
People
Threat Actors
Salt TyphoonIdentified in the article as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group that continues to threaten critical infrastructure; U.S. officials say it remains an active threat.Volt TyphoonIdentified in the article as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group that continues to threaten critical infrastructure; U.S. officials say it remains an active threat.
Countries
Chinaspecialists who focus on critical infrastructure and operational technology, it is widely assumed that China is not the only nation to have broadly compromised Americans critical infrastructure.United StatesOrganizations also need to develop an internal plan for what acceptable service levels look like under those conditions and reach understandings with their critical customers, like U.S.
Industries
DefenseHe declined to name the entities involved in the pilot program, but said they will focus on organizations that support national security, defense, public health and safety and economic continuity.Energy“Water isn’t necessarily designed to prioritize specific customer needs outside of recovery periods, while energy and transportation have more immediate tradeoffs for selecting one load or one set of cargo overpublic healthHe declined to name the entities involved in the pilot program, but said they will focus on organizations that support national security, defense, public health and safety and economic continuity.Telecommunicationsfrom third party vendors and service provider connections and disconnected from third party telecommunications equipment.”Transportationdesigned to prioritize specific customer needs outside of recovery periods, while energy and transportation have more immediate tradeoffs for selecting one load or one set of cargo over another,” Andersen saidwaterthat state-sponsored groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon continue to threaten sectors like electricity, water, and internet, and CISA will pilot targeted assessments and isolation/recovery plans to maintain service