CISA Launches 'CI Fortify' Initiative for Offline Infrastructure Resilience
CISA's new 'CI Fortify' initiative aims to help critical infrastructure organizations maintain operations during cyberattacks by focusing on offline capabilities and network isolation.
CISA has introduced a new initiative called "CI Fortify," aimed at ensuring that critical infrastructure can continue to operate even when faced with severe cyberattacks. The program focuses on enhancing the resilience of essential services by promoting network isolation and the ability to function without reliance on external telecommunications or internet connectivity [The Record].
The initiative addresses the growing concern that modern infrastructure is too tightly coupled with third-party digital dependencies, making it vulnerable to cascading failures during large-scale cyber incidents. CI Fortify encourages organizations to develop "offline" operational modes and proactively disconnect from risky dependencies when threats are detected.
This effort complements existing CISA guidance on infrastructure security and recovery. Organizations involved in critical infrastructure sectors are encouraged to review the CI Fortify framework to better prepare their operational technology environments for scenarios where standard network connectivity is compromised or unavailable.