White House Expands Cybersecurity Initiative To Chemical Sector

The Biden-Harris administration has expanded the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Cybersecurity Initiative to a fourth sector – the chemical sector. The nation’s leading chemical companies and the government’s lead agency for the chemical sector – the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) – reportedly have agreed on a plan to promote a higher standard of cybersecurity across the sector, including capabilities that enable visibility and threat detection for industrial control systems.

The Chemical Action Plan will serve as a roadmap to guide the sector’s assessment of their current cybersecurity practices over the next 100 days, building on the lessons learned and best practices of the previously launched action plans for the electric, pipeline and water sectors. The Chemical Action Plan will:

• Focus on high-risk chemical facilities that present significant chemical release hazards with the ultimate goal of supporting enhanced ICS cybersecurity across the entire chemical sector;
• Drive information sharing and analytical coordination between the federal government and the chemical sector;
• Foster collaboration with the sector owners and operators to facilitate and encourage the deployment of appropriate technologies based on each chemical facility’s own risk assessment and cybersecurity posture. The federal government will not select, endorse or recommend any specific technology or provider; and,
• Support the continuity of chemical production critical to the national and economic security of the United States.

For more information, visit: www.whitehouse.gov