CISA’s FOCAL Plan: Federal Agencies Unite Against Cyber Threats

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed the Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) Operational Cybersecurity Alignment (FOCAL) Plan, marking an important step in the federal government’s efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses. As the federal government’s lead for operational cybersecurity, CISA’s FOCAL plan is designed to provide guidance and support to over 100 FCEB agencies.

This will drive progress on key cybersecurity priorities and aligning operational defense capabilities to reduce risk across federal networks.

The FCEB agencies play diverse roles in advancing the mission of the federal government, from national security to healthcare, but they operate with different networks, systems, and levels of cyber risk tolerance. The complexity and independence of these agencies make a coordinated cybersecurity strategy critical. The FOCAL Plan addresses this need by promoting a unified approach to cybersecurity, reducing risks across federal agencies while allowing each to maintain its unique operations.

CISA’s Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Jeff Greene, emphasized the urgency and importance of this plan. Federal government data and systems interconnect and are always a target for our adversaries. FCEB agencies need to confront this threat in a unified manner and reduce risk proactively,” Greene said.

“The actions in the FOCAL Plan orient and guide FCEB agencies toward effective and collaborative operational cybersecurity and will build resilience. In collaboration with our partner agencies, CISA is modernizing federal agency cybersecurity.”

Structure and Focus of CISA’s FOCAL Plan

The FOCAL Plan’s core purpose is to standardize essential components of operational cybersecurity across the federal enterprise and enable a collective defense approach. CISA developed the plan in collaboration with FCEB agencies, ensuring that it addresses the unique challenges each agency faces while aligning them under common cybersecurity goals. The plan identifies five priority areas that serve as its foundation:

1. Asset Management: To safeguard federal networks, agencies must have a comprehensive understanding of their operational terrain, including all interconnected assets. This priority ensures that agencies know what assets they are defending, both within their networks and at the broader federal level. Asset management is crucial in reducing the attack surface and ensuring agencies have a clear view of their cyber environment.
2. Vulnerability Management: Proactive measures to protect against potential vulnerabilities are at the heart of cybersecurity. The FOCAL Plan focuses on improving the ability of agencies to identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities in their systems before attackers can exploit them. Vulnerability management helps agencies stay ahead of threats and secure their attack surface against potential incursions.
3. Defensible Architecture: Recognizing that security incidents are inevitable, this priority focuses on building a cyber infrastructure that can withstand attacks and recover swiftly. Defensible architecture is key to resilience, enabling agencies to continue operating even when security incidents occur. Agencies are encouraged to design their systems with resilience in mind, preparing for a wide range of potential threats.
4. Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management (C-SCRM): Federal IT environments often rely on third-party vendors, which introduces supply chain risks. The FOCAL Plan addresses these risks by ensuring that agencies can quickly identify and mitigate potential threats from their suppliers and partners. By enhancing C-SCRM practices, agencies can secure their supply chains and reduce the likelihood of compromise via third-party vendors.
5. Incident Detection and Response: This priority aims to improve the ability of Security Operations Centers (SOCs) across agencies to detect, respond to, and minimize the impact of security incidents. Enhancing incident detection and response capabilities ensures that agencies can quickly contain threats and limit damage to federal networks.

Each of these priorities is designed to align with existing metrics and reporting requirements for federal agencies, ensuring smooth integration with ongoing cybersecurity efforts. Importantly, the FOCAL Plan is not meant to be a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, it offers a flexible framework that allows agencies to focus on specific areas where improvements will have the greatest impact on their overall cybersecurity posture.

Collaborative Approach to Strengthen Cybersecurity

The FOCAL Plan stands out for its emphasis on collaboration. While each FCEB agency operates independently, the interconnected nature of federal networks demands a collective defense approach. CISA’s plan provides a roadmap for agencies to work together, sharing information and resources to enhance security across the board. By fostering collaboration, CISA aims to ensure that cybersecurity challenges faced by one agency are addressed collectively, preventing attackers from exploiting gaps between agencies.

The FOCAL Plan is not limited to government agencies. Private sector organizations and other public entities can benefit from the principles outlined in the plan. By applying the same focus areas—asset management, vulnerability management, defensible architecture, C-SCRM, and incident detection and response—organizations outside of the federal government can build stronger, more resilient cybersecurity defenses.

While the FOCAL Plan outlines key cybersecurity objectives for federal agencies, it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the actions that CISA or agencies must take. Instead, it serves as a focused effort to direct resources toward the most pressing operational cybersecurity challenges. The flexibility built into the plan allows agencies to prioritize actions that will have the greatest impact on reducing risk and enhancing resilience.