Alaska’s Cyber Resiliency: Why It Matters to All of Us
OPINION: Alaska’s cyber resiliency is crucial, especially when it comes to cybersecurity.
First Impressions and Hidden Challenges
When you first fly into Alaska, the sheer size of everything is striking — the vast mountains, immense glaciers, and expansive fjords. What might not be immediately obvious is that Alaska is like an isolated island, distant from the Lower 48 states, but still dependent on the same critical infrastructure systems to support its residents' daily lives.
The Secure Our Alaska Conference
This reality shaped the recent Secure Our Alaska conference in Anchorage, organized by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The event gathered people from all over Alaska with one main goal: enhancing resiliency to withstand external threats that could disrupt daily life for Alaskans and impact our nation as a whole.
The Importance of Critical Infrastructure
Think about the water we drink, the electricity that powers our homes, the gas for our vehicles, and many other essential services: these are all part of our critical infrastructure. They are so vital that any disruption can significantly affect national security, economic stability, public health, or safety.
Our mission at CISA is to collaborate with the owners and operators of this infrastructure to help them build resiliency into their preparedness plans — and then put those plans to the test.
Critical Assets in Alaska
Recently, I visited key locations like Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Chugach Electric Association, and the Don Young Port of Alaska — essential assets not just for Alaskans but for the entire nation. Back in 1935, Brigadier Gen. Billy Mitchell testified that “Alaska is the most strategic place on Earth.” This statement is even truer today, particularly in terms of cybersecurity. These visits highlighted the importance of developing strong relationships with our infrastructure partners.
Alaska’s Strategic Significance
Alaska’s strategic significance cannot be overstated. From its seaports and airports to its military presence and proximity to key shipping routes along the Bering Strait, Alaska plays a critical role in national security and the economy.
Unique Challenges in Alaska
Alaska faces unique challenges. For instance, a service disruption at a port in the Lower 48 involves collaborating with private and public partners to find alternative ports to secure shipments. In Alaska, if a port goes down due to a cyberattack, the impact and recovery options are much more difficult to manage.
Collaborative Efforts and Resiliency
By working closely with our partners at the ports and other critical assets in Alaska, we can collectively build the resiliency required to both withstand attacks and recover quickly. This collaborative spirit was evident at the Anchorage conference, where I was impressed by how people from various sectors shared information and devised innovative solutions to tackle challenges.
Recent Cyber Events and CISA’s Role
This month alone, there were three cyber incidents in Alaska that CISA addressed in coordination with state and local organizations. These responses were only possible thanks to the willingness of affected entities to partner with us. Moreover, CISA has assisted numerous organizations in Alaska in identifying hundreds of vulnerabilities through our free cyber hygiene scanning. We are grateful for these partnerships and aim to forge more.
CISA’s Commitment to Alaska
In Alaska, CISA has cybersecurity advisors, election security advisors, protective security advisors, and emergency communications experts ready to assist. They collaborate with state, local, tribal partners, and the private sector to enhance defenses against cyber threats.
Moving Forward Together
Our ultimate goal at CISA is to bolster collaboration with our partners to cultivate a shared understanding of threats and hazards through information sharing and preparedness activities to protect vital infrastructure and information systems.
Alaskans pride themselves on self-sufficiency, but I am heartened by their readiness to work with us to improve Alaska's cybersecurity and, by extension, the safety of our nation. CISA stands firm with our Alaskan partners to keep this "island" state secure from cyber threats.
Nitin Natarajan serves as deputy director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
