DOE Creating Office for Cybersecurity, Emergency Response
The new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response will be created with $96 million in funding that is included in President Donald J. Trump's FY19 budget request.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced Feb. 14 that DOE is establishing a new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), using $96 million in funding that is included in President Donald J. Trump's FY19 budget request. The announcement said the CESER office will be headed by an assistant secretary who will focus on energy infrastructure security, support the expanded national security responsibilities assigned to DOE, and report to the Under Secretary of Energy.
"DOE plays a vital role in protecting our nation's energy infrastructure from cyber threats, physical attack, and natural disaster, and as secretary, I have no higher priority," Perry said. "This new office best positions the department to address the emerging threats of tomorrow while protecting the reliable flow of energy to Americans today."
The new office will raise the department’s focus on energy infrastructure protection and allow for more coordinated preparedness and response to natural and man-made threats, according to the agency.