[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31412-31413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14352]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. DHS-2018-0023]


Nationwide Cyber Security Review Assessment

AGENCY: Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C), National 
Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS).

ACTION: 60-Day Notice and request for comments; New Collection, 1670--
NEW.

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SUMMARY: DHS NPPD CS&C will submit the following information collection 
request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until September 4, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-
2018-0023, by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Please follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Please include docket number 
DHS-2018-0023 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Written comments and questions about this 
Information Collection Request should be forwarded to DHS/NPPD/CS&C, 
ATTN: 1670-NEW, Donna Beach, 245 Murray Lane, SW, Mail Stop 0612, 
Arlington, VA 20528.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the words 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and docket number DHS-2018-0023. 
Comments received will be posted without alteration at http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available 
to the public through relevant websites. For this reason, please do not 
include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as 
sensitive personal information or proprietary information. If you send 
an email comment, your email address will be automatically captured and 
included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and 
made available on the internet. Please note that responses to this 
public comment request containing any routine notice about the 
confidentiality of the communication will be treated as public comments 
that may be made available to the public notwithstanding the inclusion 
of the routine notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Donna Beach at 703-705-6213 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its reports to the Department of Homeland 
Security Appropriations Act, 2010, Congress requested a Nationwide 
Cyber Security Review (NCSR) from the National Cyber Security Division 
(NCSD), the predecessor organization of the Stakeholder Engagement and 
Cyber Infrastructure Resilience (SECIR) division. S. Rep. No. 111-31, 
at 91 (2009), H.R. Rep. No. 111-298, at 96 (2009). The House Conference 
Report accompanying the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations 
Act, 2010 ``note[d] the importance of a comprehensive effort to assess 
the security level of cyberspace at all levels of government'' and 
directed DHS to ``develop the necessary tools for all levels of 
government to complete a cyber network security assessment so that a 
full measure of gaps and capabilities can be completed in the near 
future.'' H.R. Rep. No. 111-298, at 96 (2009). Concurrently, in its 
report accompanying the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations 
Bill, 2010, the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommended that DHS 
``report on the status of cyber security measures in place, and gaps in 
all 50 States and the largest urban areas.'' S. Rep. No. 111-31, at 91 
(2009).
    The Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, established ``a 
national cybersecurity and communications integration center [NCCIC] . 
. . to carry out certain responsibilities of the Under Secretary,'' 
including the provision of assessments. 6 U.S.C. 148(b). The Act also 
directs the composition of the NCCIC to include an entity that 
collaborates with State and local governments on cybersecurity risks 
and incidents, and has entered into a voluntary information sharing 
relationship with the NCCIC. 6 U.S.C. 148(d)(1)(E). The Multistate 
Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) currently fulfills 
this function. NPPD funds the MS-ISAC through a Cooperative Agreement 
and maintains a close relationship with this entity. As part of the 
Cooperative Agreement, DHS directs the MS-ISAC to produce the NCSR as 
contemplated by Congress.
    Generally, NPPD has authority to perform risk and vulnerability 
assessments for Federal and non-Federal entities, with consent and upon 
request. The NCCIC performs these assessments in accordance with its 
authority to provide voluntary technical assistance to Federal and non-
Federal entities. See 6 U.S.C. 148(c)(6), 143(2). This authority is 
consistent with the Department's responsibility to ``[c]onduct 
comprehensive assessments of the vulnerabilities of the Nation's 
critical infrastructure in coordination with the SSAs [Sector-Specific 
Agencies] and in collaboration with SLTT [State, Local, Tribal, and 
Territorial] entities and critical infrastructure owners and 
operators.'' Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-21, at 3. A private 
sector entity or state and local government agency also has discretion 
to use a self-assessment tool offered by NPPD or request NPPD to 
perform an on-site risk and vulnerability assessment. See 6 U.S.C. 
148(c)(6), 143(2), 6 U.S.C. 121(d)(2). The NCSR is a voluntary annual 
self-assessment.
    Upon submission of the first NCSR report in March 2012, Congress 
further clarified its expectation ``that this survey will be updated 
every other year so that progress may be charted and further areas of 
concern may be identified.'' S. Rep. No. 112-169, at 100 (2012). In 
each subsequent year, Congress has referenced this NCSR in its 
explanatory comments and recommendations accompanying the Department of 
Homeland Security Appropriations. Consistent with Congressional 
mandates, SECIR developed the NCSR to measure the gaps and capabilities 
of cybersecurity programs within SLTT governments. Using the anonymous 
results of the NCSR, DHS delivers a bi-annual summary report to 
Congress that provides a broad picture of the current cybersecurity 
gaps & capabilities of SLTT governments across the nation.
    The assessment allows SLTT governments to manage cybersecurity 
related risks through the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) which 
consists of best practices, standards and guidelines. In efforts of 
continuously providing Congress with an accurate representation of the 
SLTT

[[Page 31413]]

governments' cybersecurity programs gaps and capabilities the NCSR 
question set may slightly change from year-to-year.
    The NCSR is an annual voluntary self-assessment that is hosted on 
the RSA Archer Suite, which is a technology platform that provides a 
foundation for managing policies, controls, risks, assessments, and 
deficiencies across organizational lines of business. The NCSR self-
assessment runs every year from October-December. In efforts of 
increasing participation, the deadline is sometimes extended. The 
target audience for the NCSR are personnel within the SLTT community 
who are responsible for the cybersecurity management within their 
organization.
    Through the NCSR, DHS & MS-ISAC will examine relationships, 
interactions, and processes governing IT management and the ability to 
effectively manage operational risk. Using the anonymous results of the 
NCSR, DHS delivers a bi-annual summary report to Congress that provides 
a broad picture of the cybersecurity gaps & capabilities of SLTT 
governments across the nation. The bi-annual summary report is shared 
with MS-ISAC members, NCSR End Users, and Congress. The report is also 
available on the MS-ISAC website, https://www.cisecurity.org/ms-isac/services/ncsr/.
    Upon submission of the NCSR self-assessment, participants will 
immediately receive access to several reports specific to their 
organization and their cybersecurity posture. Additionally, after the 
annual NCSR survey closes there will be a brief NCSR End User Survey 
offered to everyone who completed the NSCR assessment. The survey will 
provide feedback on participants' experiences, such as from how they 
heard about the NCSR, what they found or did not find useful, how they 
will utilize the results of their assessment, and other information 
about their current and future interactions with the NCSR.
    Additionally, MS-ISAC will administer a survey to those who were 
registered participants in the past and did not register or complete 
the most recent NCSR. The purpose of the Non-Response Survey is to 
solicit feedback on ways the NSCR could be improved to maximize 
benefits and increase response rates in the future.
    The NCSR assessment requires approximately two hours for completion 
and is located on the RSA Archer Suite. During the assessment period, 
participants can respond at their own pace with the ability to save 
their progress during each session. If additional support is needed, 
participants can contact the NCSR helpdesk via phone and email.
    The NCSR End User survey will be fully electronic. It contains less 
than 30 multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank answers and takes 
approximately 10 minutes to complete. The feedback survey will be 
administered via Survey Monkey and settings will be updated to opt out 
of collecting participants' IP addresses.
    The Non-Response Survey will be fully electronic and take 
approximately 10 minutes to complete. The survey will be administered 
via Survey Monkey and settings will be updated to opt out of collecting 
participants' IP addresses.
    This is a new information collection.
    OMB is particularly interested in comments that:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.
    Title of Collection: Nationwide Cyber Security Review Assessment.
    OMB Control Number: 1670-NEW.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial entities.
    Number of Respondents: 591.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 2 hours.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,278.
    Total Burden Cost (Capital/Startup): $0.
    Total Recordkeeping Burden: $0.
    Total Burden Cost (Operating/Maintaining): $0.

David Epperson,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-14352 Filed 7-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-9P-P