The White House released a statement on March 21, 2022 indicating that it is more important than ever for the private sector to strengthen cybersecurity measures based on intelligence that they have received.

LRS Education Services made a commitment in 2017 to teach students how to align and prioritize cybersecurity activities with business/mission requirements, risk tolerances, and resources using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Organizations have been using the knowledge and skills learned in LRS NIST cybersecurity training classes, which align with Federal standards, to create or improve their cybersecurity programs.

As advised in the statement, we must “accelerate our work to improve domestic cybersecurity and bolster our national resistance.” Here is the White House Statement by President Biden on our Nation’s Cybersecurity full release.

Steps that are recommended to be followed with urgency:

• Mandate the use of multi-factor authentication on your systems to make it harder for attackers to get onto your system;
• Deploy modern security tools on your computers and devices to continuously look for and mitigate threats;
• Check with your cybersecurity professionals to make sure that your systems are patched and protected against all known vulnerabilities, and change passwords across your networks so that previously stolen credentials are useless to malicious actors;
• Back up your data and ensure you have offline backups beyond the reach of malicious actors;
• Run exercises and drill your emergency plans so that you are prepared to respond quickly to minimize the impact of any attack;
• Encrypt your data so it cannot be used if it is stolen;
• Educate your employees to common tactics that attackers will use over email or through websites, and encourage them to report if their computers or phones have shown unusual behavior, such as unusual crashes or operating very slowly; and
• Engage proactively with your local FBI field office or CISA Regional Office to establish relationships in advance of any cyber incidents. Please encourage your IT and Security leadership to visit the websites of CISA and the FBI where they will find technical information and other useful resources.

For more information on bolstering America’s cybersecurity over the long term, here is the CISA Shields Up site that provides the latest updates to adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting critical assets.

While we look forward to having you in one of our NIST Cyber Security Training courses to obtain the knowledge to address and manage cybersecurity risk in a cost-effective way, please review the White House Statement and the CISA Shields Up page for steps you can take to protect your organization immediately.

I can be contacted at margaret.teague@lrs.com for additional information regarding our training services. Stay safe and well.

Margaret Teague