Statement by Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen on the Release of the National Cyber Strategy

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen released the following statement today on the National Cyber Strategy:

“The Trump administration has taken bold steps to strengthen our security and prosperity in cyberspace in the face of growing threats and competition.  The critical infrastructure that Americans rely on is threatened every day by nation-states, cyber criminals and hackers seeking to wreak havoc, disrupt commerce, and even undermine our democratic institutions. Today’s National Cyber Strategy – the first in fifteen years – strengthens the government’s commitment to work in partnership with industry to combat those threats and secure our critical infrastructure.

“The National Cyber Strategy, along with the DHS Cybersecurity Strategy released earlier this year, will guide the Department’s cybersecurity activities in a number of areas, including securing federal networks and information systems, managing risk to the nation’s critical infrastructure, and combatting cybercrime. With respect to securing federal networks, for example, we have used our authorities to ensure agencies are updating and patching systems, strengthening their email security, and removing Kaspersky antivirus products from their systems. To strengthen critical infrastructure security and resilience, DHS works across government and industry to share timely and actionable information as well as provide training and incident response support. Working with the private sector, the department’s newly launched National Risk Management Center is working collaboratively to break down silos, identify and prioritize national critical functions, provide a more holistic picture of the risk environment within and across sectors, and develop joint solutions to manage risk.

“The strategy also identifies several important steps which will further enable DHS to successfully combat cybercrime. Transnational criminal groups are employing increasingly sophisticated digital tools and techniques to enable their illegal activities online, and the strategy calls for DHS and the broader law enforcement community to continue to develop new and more effective legal tools to investigate and prosecute these criminal actors. It also notes the need for electronic surveillance and computer crime laws to be updated to keep pace with the rapidly evolving environment.

“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and the Department of Homeland Security will continue to stand with our partners, in government and industry, to raise our collective defense against cyber threats to our security, prosperity, and way of life."

View the National Cyber Strategy here.