CISA Officials Call for Faster, More Unified Federal Cybersecurity Through CDM
Summary
CISA officials say the CDM program should expand automation, connect agency data and improve risk management. They cite SolarWinds lessons and outline priorities for shared capabilities, outcome-focused buying and continuous improvement.
Key points
- CISA’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program aims to increase speed, unification and data-driven risk management across federal agencies.
- An agency official said responsible automation could reduce repetitive alert work and let experts focus on novel threats and advanced technology.
- CDM’s unification goal is to reduce data silos and support shared, reusable lessons across agencies.
- CISA’s SIEM-as-a-Service offering has a three-year roadmap for expansion and enhancement, including additional staffing and training.
- The acting federal CISO urged agencies to aggregate demand, buy for outcomes rather than specific products, and design acquisitions for continuous improvement.
- CISA officials said the SolarWinds breach, which compromised at least nine federal agencies, highlighted the need for government-wide operational visibility and a common operating picture.
Article Details
- Event Type
- CISA is evolving its Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program to accelerate automation, unify data across agencies, and strengthen data-driven risk management.
- Impact
- The program aims to help federal agencies respond faster to emerging threats and improve government-wide operational visibility and coordination. Officials said the SolarWinds breach compromised at least nine federal agencies and exposed a lack of a common operating picture.
People
Matt HouseCISA’s acting associate director and program manager for CDM; discussed lessons from the SolarWinds breach.Mike DuffyActing federal chief information security officer; outlined principles to guide the future of the CDM program.Richard GrabowskiActing branch chief of service delivery and deputy program manager for CISA’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program; described the program’s goals.