APT & Targeted Attacks
US DoE Launches New Program for OT Defender Fellowship
The US Department of Energy recently launched the Operational Technology (OT) Defender Fellowship. Another milestone step from the Department in enhancing the US’s critical infrastructure.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched the Operational Technology (OT) Defender Fellowship. Another milestone step from the Department in enhancing the US's critical infrastructure.
In collaboration with DOE's Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' (FDD) Center for Cyber and Technology Innovation (CTTI), the OT Defender Fellowship hopes to expand the knowledge of primary US front-line critical infrastructure defenders.
Briolette also said that operation technology security managers play a vital role in keeping the core physical systems of the US's energy infrastructure running smoothly, especially during natural disasters, physical sabotage, and even nation-state cyberattacks.
Sharing cybersecurity knowledge to the private sector
The OT Defender Fellowship is a 12-month program for operational technology security managers in the US energy sector. It will enable the program participants to engage with various cyber and national experts across the US government. The program aims to also equip them with a better understanding of the strategies and tactics of the country's adversaries and how the US government cyber operations defend the nation.
The Fellowship aligns with the bipartisan recommendations of the congressionally mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC).
King also explains that the CSC report supports operationalizing cybersecurity partnership with the private sector and remolding how the government works with the private sector. King added that this DOE initiative will better protect the US from cyberattacks.
Tom Fanning, Chairman, President & CEO of Southern Company, says that national security greatly depends on the collaboration between private sector and the government.
To qualify for the fellowship, participants must be in a middle or senior management role in a US energy sector, with decision-making authority and oversight responsibility of operational technology systems. They must also be nominated by their organization's leadership and commit to the requirements imposed by the program. The participant must also be a US citizen and currently hold or be able to attain federal security clearance at the Secret or higher level, or be in a role that justifies application for Department of Homeland Security-sponsored private sector clearance.
For more information about the OT Defender Fellowship, visit https://inl.gov/otdefender/