DHS tests cyber response plan in global drill
Cyber Storm III engages 7 federal agencies, 11 states, 12 other countries
- By Alice Lipowicz
- Sep 28, 2010
The Homeland Security Department today led its first test of the
National Cyber Incident Response Plan as part of the global Cyber Storm
III three-day cybersecurity preparedness drill.
Seven federal agencies, 11 states, 12 other countries and 60 private
companies are participating in the simulated exercise meant to test
authorities’ readiness for large-scale attacks against the Internet and
other IT infrastructure.
Cyber Storm III also represents the first major drill that uses
the new National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center in
Arlington, Va., which opened in October 2009 as the hub for national
cyber response.
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"Exercises like Cyber Storm III allow us build upon the
significant progress we’ve made in responding to evolving cyber
threats,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a news release.
In the three-day simulated attack, which began Sept. 27 and
ends Sept. 30, participants are responding to more than 1,000
scripted events in real time. Brett Lambo, director of the Homeland Security Department’s
cybersecurity exercise program, described the scenario to reporters
recently as “the Internet attacking itself.”
The participants include:
- The Commerce, Defense, Energy, Justice, Transportation and
Treasury departments, the White House, and representatives from the
intelligence and law enforcement communities.
- California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington state.
- Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
- Sixty companies in the banking, chemical, communications, defense, nuclear, IT, transportation and water sectors.
About the Author
Alice Lipowicz is a staff writer covering government 2.0, homeland security and other IT policies for Federal Computer Week.