Federal agencies get new cybersecurity response playbooks

Federal agencies have new guidance for how to respond to cybersecurity incidents and vulnerabilities. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released playbooks Tuesday that include standardized response procedures for federal civilian executive branch agencies facing such threats.

President Joe Biden tasked CISA with developing the guidance in his May Executive Order on cybersecurity. The playbooks cover how agencies should manage cybersecurity processes related to incidents and vulnerabilities—including preparation, investigation, containment, reporting, and remediation.

While the procedures were developed for use by the federal government, CISA also encourages organizations involved in other levels of government, controlling critical infrastructure, and in the private sector “review them to benchmark their own vulnerability and incident response practices.”