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Enforcing stricter product security is a suggestion made by Krebs, which could potentially aid the private sector as well.

Governmental financial influence can drive security enhancements, potentially profiting businesses across various sectors, as suggested by ex-CISA Director Chris Krebs.

Mandating increased product security, according to Krebs, could bolster government efforts and also...
Mandating increased product security, according to Krebs, could bolster government efforts and also benefit the private sector.

Enforcing stricter product security is a suggestion made by Krebs, which could potentially aid the private sector as well.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been making significant strides in enhancing the public-private partnership, as evidenced by the announcement of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) in August. This collaborative initiative aims to address four main areas of security: information sharing, developing comprehensive cyber defense strategies, exercising those plans, and implementing the plans into operations.

The government's increased security expectations for products can be seen as a strategic move, leveraging its power of the purse. This approach encourages technology vendors to improve their build environments to meet government security standards, a change that could benefit private sector companies as well.

CISA is designed to be a voluntary sounding board for companies and security leaders, offering advice untouched by regulatory authorities. The agency is also the nation's risk advisor, providing risk management advice to executives. In this role, CISA has published a "bad practices" catalog to document inadvisable cybersecurity practices, aiming to serve as a negative learning moment flipped on its head to provide assistance.

The former director of CISA, Chris Krebs, stated that the federal government uses the same products as companies in the private sector. He also emphasized the importance of focused information sharing, noting that broad sharing has limited success. Instead, CISA is working to distill out relevant threat or adversary information from its unique holdings and share it with relevant parties.

The success of some initiatives in President Joe Biden's May executive order, which demands deeper security accountability for software development, is dependent on private sector cooperation. CISOs are focusing more on risk management when presenting to stakeholders, a shift that reflects the growing importance of strategic cybersecurity planning.

Chris Krebs mentioned the crucial roles of CIOs and CISOs, but did not provide specific names or their associated companies or organizations. However, it is clear that their cooperation is essential for the effective functioning of initiatives like the JCDC.

CISA Director Jen Easterly wants CISA to be codified as the operational lead for federal cybersecurity under FISMA, a move that would grant the agency greater authority, particularly over other federal departments. Easterly also wants incident notification legislation to facilitate information sharing with CISA, further strengthening the public-private partnership.

In conclusion, the efforts of CISA and the JCDC are paving the way for a stronger public-private partnership in cybersecurity. By focusing on strategic information sharing, risk management, and collaborative initiatives, these entities are working to protect both the public and private sectors from cyber threats.

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