The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is opening its first Attaché Office — in London later this month, the agency announced July 18.
CISA, in its press statement, said:
“The Attaché Office will serve as a focal point for international collaboration between CISA, UK government officials, and other federal agency officials. The CISA Attaché will advance CISA’s missions in cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, and emergency communications, and leverage the agency’s global network to promote CISA’s four international strategic goals.”
CISA Director Jen Easter explained why the agency is reaching across the Atlantic Ocean:
“As America’s cyber defense agency, we know that digital threat actors don’t operate neatly within borders. To help build resilience against threats domestically, we must think globally. I’m thrilled for CISA’s first international Attaché Office to open in London — true operational collaboration is a global endeavor.”
As such, CISA states its four international goals as:
- Building partner capacity
- Strengthening collaboration through stakeholder engagement and outreach
- Shaping the global policy ecosystem
Julie Johnson Named U.K. Attaché for Cybersecurity
Julie Johnson, who is steeped in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure expertise, has been tapped to lead the Attaché Office in the U.K. Johnson previously served as a Regional Protective Security Advisor for CISA in New York, where she led research on microgrids, communications and the internet, and physical-cyber convergence, the agency said.
Johnson also served as CISA’s regional lead for federal interagency working groups. Prior to her tenure at CISA, she worked at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
In Johnson’s role at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, her work included citizen exchanges, Fulbright scholarships, IT center deployments and international training.
U.S. and Saudi Arabia Sign Cybersecurity Agreements
In other U.S. government cybersecurity news this week, President Biden signed two bilateral agreements on cybersecurity with Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority, according to a White House statement.
One agreement is with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the other is with CISA. Through these memoranda of cooperation, the United States and Saudi Arabia will:
- Expand their existing bilateral relationship on cybersecurity
- Share information about cybersecurity threats and activities of malicious actors
- Collaborate on best practices, technologies, tools, and on approaches to cybersecurity training and education
