The Western Cyber Exchange

Background: The Cyber Preparedness Continuum CNA’s Safety and Security Division conducted a Cyber Preparedness Workshop on April 25, 2013, at CNA’s headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The workshop brought together emergency management and cybersecurity stakeholders, drawn from both the public and private sectors, to discuss cyber preparedness. Discussions during the workshop centered around the definition of cyber preparedness, the role of emergency management in cyber preparedness, and the four components of the Cyber Preparedness Continuum—a tool that CNA developed to assist emergency managers in planning and implementing cyber-related preparedness activities. The Continuum’s components—Coordination; Information Sharing; Planning and Readiness; and Continuous Improvement—reflect the ongoing and evolving nature of cyber preparedness. The continuum contains benchmarks and key activities that characterize different levels of increased cyber preparedness in each component.