The message contained in today’s blog was authored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), with information provided by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

November is Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness and reaffirm the commitment to keep our nation’s critical infrastructure secure and resilient.

Proactively protecting these resources is vital for preserving the safety and security of all Hoosiers. This year’s theme is “Resolve to be Resilient”. Weather is becoming more extreme, physical and cyberattacks are a persistent threat, and technology is advancing in ways that will change our future very quickly. We must prepare by accepting that it’s our responsibility to strengthen critical infrastructure and protect the vital services it provides.

We can do this by embracing resiliency and building it into our preparedness planning—and then exercising those plans. The safety and security of the nation depends on the ability of critical infrastructure to be able to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and to withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. This starts with building resilience into infrastructure investment.

One of the key components to creating an added measure of preparedness is by having a well-crafted Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP). In addition to helping define everyone’s roles and responsibilities, the plan should include a robust communications strategy that outlines how the information will be disseminated both internally and externally, in the event of a cyber incident or cyberattack.

Public-private partnerships, as evidenced by the work that’s been achieved over the past 7 years by the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC), continues to play a critical role for leveraging our shared commitment by identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risks through protective programs and training, as well as offering a wide range of best practices, resources, and tips, as featured on the Indiana Cybersecurity Hub website.

Attacks cannot be completely prevented from happening, but we can minimize their impact by building resilience into our infrastructure and into our society. For more information, visit CISA’s Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month web page.