Evolving Threats, Stagnant Policies: How to Secure Critical Infrastructure for the Cyber Era

Modern critical infrastructure – including access to safe water, energy, communications, and transportation systems – is vital to American security and prosperity. And yet the existing private-public partnership governing framework – Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21) – is a decade old. To address the rapidly emerging technological changes and increased threats to critical infrastructure, the Biden administration has indicated it is reviewing and revising PPD-21. What are the shortcomings of PPD-21? How can improved public-private collaboration better protect U.S. national security, economic prosperity, and public health? What should the Biden administration be considering as it undergoes its important policy review?

To discuss these questions, FDD and CSC 2.0 will host a panel with Kiersten E. Todt, former chief of staff of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and current senior advisor to CISA Director Jen Easterly; RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and CSC 2.0 executive director; and Mary Brooks, policy fellow at the Wilson Center. The panel will be moderated by Martin Matishak, senior cybersecurity reporter for The Record.