The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) will open a National Risk Management Center (the “Center”), which will focus on evaluating and defending U.S. critical infrastructure from cyberattacks and digital threats. DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen announced the creation of the Center on Tuesday, calling it the new “focal point” for cybersecurity within the federal government. 

The Center is proposed to be a place where private companies can get assistance if they experience a cyberattack. The intent is for a company to seek assistance early on, so that DHS via the Center can help protect other companies in the same sector or industry from falling victim to the attack. To that end, DHS envisions the Center will serve to create partnerships between federal agencies and private companies to identify and address potential threats quickly. 

To begin with, the Center will focus primarily on the energy, finance, and telecommunications industries. In the immediate future, DHS intends to conduct a number of 90-day “sprints” through the rest of 2018 to identify key needs and priorities, as well as rapidly build out the Center’s processes and capabilities. DHS ultimately plans to run simulations, tests, and cross-sector exercises to evaluate the weaknesses and threats to U.S. critical infrastructure. 

Related to the new Center and DHS’ efforts to combat cyber threats, DHS is working with Congress to pass legislation to make organizational changes at DHS. On Tuesday, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2018. The legislation would effectively recast what is now the National Protection and Programs Directorate into an official, operational agency. The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill several months ago.