Nitin Natarajan
Updated: 2 minutes ago Published: 2 minutes ago
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When you fly into Alaska for the first time, you're immediately struck by the sheer scale of everything – the mountains, the vast glaciers, the fjords, the marshes, the valleys, etc. What may not be immediately apparent to those who haven't had the chance to visit this incredible state is that although it is like an island separated from the lower 48 states, it relies on the same critical infrastructure systems to sustain its residents.
This fact was reflected in the design of the Secure Our Alaska conference, recently held in Anchorage and hosted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which brought together people from across the state with one goal in mind: strengthening resilience against external threats that could disrupt the daily lives of Alaskans and the nation.
Think about the water we drink, the electricity that lights our homes, the gas we get at the gas station, and other functions that society needs to keep running smoothly — all of these are products of our critical infrastructure. They are so important to the nation that their failure or destruction would have serious implications on our national security, national economic security, national public health, or safety.
Our role at CISA is to work with the owners and operators of this critical infrastructure to help them embrace resilience and build it into their preparedness plans and then execute on those plans.
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Chugach Power Association, and Port Don Young, Alaska. These are important assets not only to the people of Alaska, but to the entire nation. In 1935, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell testified before Congress that “Alaska is the most strategic place on earth.” This statement rings even more true today, especially when it comes to cybersecurity. Alaska is on the front lines of threats, and my visits with partners here have driven home the importance of building strong relationships with our infrastructure partners.
Alaska's strategic importance cannot be overstated. Its seaports, airports, military presence, and proximity to vital shipping lanes along the Bering Strait make it vital to national security and the economy.
Alaska is different in many ways from the lower 48 states. For example, if a port in the lower 48 experiences an interruption in service, we must work with private and public partners to identify alternative ports that can be used to keep cargo safe. Here in Anchorage, or any other port in Alaska, if a cyberattack takes down one port, the impacts and recovery options are much more difficult to overcome (or may never be overcome in the first place).
By working closely with our partners at Alaska's ports and other critical facilities, together we can build the resilience needed to withstand an attack and recover quickly. This can only happen if everyone is at the table and willing to share information. At our meetings in Anchorage, I was impressed with the level of collaboration. This collaboration is key to coming together to create new and innovative ways to address challenges.
In fact, this month alone, there have been three cyber events in Alaska where CISA worked with state and local organizations to respond. We couldn't have helped if the organizations that were attacked hadn't been willing to work with us. Additionally, last month, CISA helped Alaska organizations identify hundreds of vulnerabilities through free cyber hygiene scans. We're grateful for these partnerships and hope to build many more as we work together to build cyber resilience across the state.
In Alaska, CISA has cybersecurity advisors, election security advisors, protective security advisors, and emergency communications experts ready to assist you as they work with state and local partners, tribal partners, and the private sector to strengthen defenses against cyber attacks.
Overall, CISA's goal is to continually strengthen collaboration with partners to achieve a common understanding of threats and dangers through information sharing and to enhance preparedness to protect critical infrastructure and information systems. We provide our services at no cost to our customers. If you need assistance, please contact us at CISARegion10@hq.dhs.gov and we'll be happy to assist you.
I know that in Alaska you pride yourself on being self-sufficient, but I am encouraged by your willingness to work with us to improve Alaska's cybersecurity footprint and make our state and our nation more safe overall. CISA is working with our Alaska partners to protect and keep our island state safe from cyberattacks.
Nitin Natarajan is the deputy director of the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
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