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ERM Fundamentals

Overview of the National Risk Management Center at the Department of Homeland Security

Bob Kolasky

The National Risk Management Center (NRMC) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) works closely with the critical infrastructure community to identify and analyze the most significant risks to the United States. The NRMC works with government and industry to identify, prioritize, and manage the most significant strategic risks to the Nation’s critical assets, systems and networks that provide functions necessary for our way of life. The focus of the NRMC is to ensure the security and resilience across 16 critical infrastructure sectors, such as generating power and supplying clean water.

In the video below, Mark Beasley, KPMG Professor and Director of the ERM Initiative interviews Bob Kolasky, Assistant Director, CISA within the Department of Homeland Secuirty about the work of the NRMC.

Mission of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) serves as the Nation’s risk advisor focused on ensuring the security and resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure. In today’s digitally connected world, technology based innovations and systems are integrated into all aspects of an organization’s operations, which often then become the target of diverse, sophisticated cyber, physical, technological and natural threats.  CISA helps oversee the ever-evolving risk landscape affecting the United States.

Role of the National Risk Management Center

The National Risk Management Center, which is housed with CISA, helps fulfill the Agency’s risk advisory role by helping coordinate both industry and government in the identification of the most significant risks to our Nation and in the coordination of efforts to reduce those risks with the goal of ensuring critical infrastructures are secure and resilient.

16 Critical Infrastructure Sectors

The focus of CISA and its NRMC is on 16 critical infrastructure sectors, such as power generation, water supply, railroads, highways, air transportation, banking and financial systems and others, that provide critical functions necessary for our way of life.  The NRMC brings together the private sector, government agencies, and other key stakeholders to collectively work to identify, analyze, prioritize, and manage the most significant risks to that critical infrastructure.