Preparing Governments for Future Shocks: Building Cyber Resilience for Critical Infrastructure Protection

As demonstrated by the findings from the initial cybersecurity roundtable done through the Future Shocks initiative, cyber resilience is crucial for protecting critical infrastructure, which includes essential services from the energy grid to clean water distribution. These systems are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks. Cyber resilience involves not only robust cybersecurity measures to prevent attacks but also the ability to quickly detect, respond to, and recover from incidents. This ensures continuity of operations and minimizes the impact of cyber threats. By enhancing cyber resilience, governments can safeguard critical systems, support the reliable functioning of vital services even in the face of crises, and help build and maintain public trust.

To discuss the above imperatives, the Center and IBV joined with NAPA to convene a roundtable that identified opportunities and practical actions government can take to address these challenges. The roundtable included executives from the government, nonprofit, academic, and commercial sectors, for a highly interactive, roundtable discussion entitled “Preparing Governments for Future Shocks: Building Cyber Resilience for Critical Infrastructure Protection.” This session addressed three areas essential to the cybersecurity and resilience of critical systems: Emergency Preparedness and Response, Supply Chain Resilience, and Workforce Resilience.

This report summarizes the discussions in this roundtable by presenting the challenges, observations and best practices, and opportunities within each of these areas. Roundtable participants identified multiple recommendations for government action, discussed in the report.