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Cyber actors have demonstrated their continued willingness to conduct malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructure by exploiting Internet-accessible and vulnerable Operational Technology (OT) assets. To counter this threat,NSA has released a repository for OT Intrusion Detection Signatures and Analytics to the NSA Cyber GitHub. The capability, known as ELITEWOLF, can enable defenders of critical infrastructure, defense industrial base, and national security systems to identify and detect potentially malicious cyber activity in their OT environments.

Civilian infrastructure has become an attractive target for foreign powers attempting to do harm to U.S. interests. Because of the increase in adversary capabilities, the vulnerability of OT systems, and the potential scope of impact, NSA recommends that OT critical infrastructure owners and operators implement ELITEWOLF as part of a continuous and vigilant system monitoring program.

For more detailed information,visit the ELITEWOLF page on NSAs GitHub.

ELITEWOLF is being released as a follow up to theProtect Operational Technologies and Control Systems against Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity Advisory.

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NSA Releases a Repository of Signatures and Analytics to Secure Operational Technology - HS Today - HSToday

Cyber actors have demonstrated their continued willingness to conduct malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructure by exploiting Internet-accessible and vulnerable Operational Technology (OT) assets. To counter this threat, NSA has released a repository for OT Intrusion Detection Signatures and Analytics to the NSA Cyber GitHub. The capability, known as ELITEWOLF, can enable defenders of critical infrastructure, defense industrial base, and national security systems to identify and detect potentially malicious cyber activity in their OT environments. Civilian infrastructure has become an attractive target for foreign powers attempting to do harm to U.S. interests. Because of the increase in adversary capabilities, the vulnerability of OT systems, and the potential scope of impact, NSA recommends that OT critical infrastructure owners and operators implement ELITEWOLF as part of a continuous and vigilant system monitoring program. For more detailed information, visit the ELITEWOLF page on NSAs GitHub.

ELITEWOLF is being released as a follow up to the Protect Operational Technologies and Control Systems against Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity Advisory.

NSA Media Relations MediaRelations@nsa.gov 443-634-0721

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NSA releases a repository of signatures and analytics to secure ... - National Security Agency

FORT MEADE, Md. This National Hispanic Heritage Month, were proud to bring you the Mucho Gusto! or Nice to meet you! series of weekly interviews featuring members of NSAs Hispanic and Latino (HLAT) Employee Resource Group (ERG). Our interviewees embrace what we share in common and celebrate what makes us unique, in keeping with the years theme, Todos Somos. Somos Uno: We are all. We are One. This week, wed like to introduce you to ERG member Sandra Perez.

Where are you originally from and what would you like to share about your upbringing? I was born and raised in Pharr, Texas. Growing up in a town so close to the border, my favorite memory was carrying our Mexican traditions such as spending Navidad at our house and preparing the tamales, the decorations, playing outside with my cousins, popping fireworks and breaking the piata before gathering for dinner and the opening of the regalos. What does this years NHHM theme Todos Somos. Somos Uno: We are all. We are One mean to you? To me, it means that we all come from different places and cultures and somehow, when separated from home and placed in military environments and/or NSA settings, we gravitate towards finding each other. We do it to not only provide a sense of familiarity but to create a strength within that allows us to be wildflowers, to flourish in places where one wouldnt normally. How has your ethnic heritage shaped the person you are today, personally or professionally? Being first generation Mexican-American, I would say that my ethnic heritage has shaped me to become the first in my family to join the military. Witnessing my parents pick up their lives and move to a different country to provide a better future for me and my siblings, I always felt a sense of responsibility to demonstrate that my parents sacrifices were fruitful. I know that with their support and the ambition they have instilled in me, I can continue to break barriers and accomplish anything I set my mind to. How did you come to work for the Agency and what part of your job do you love the most? I came to work for the agency through the military. I enlisted with the Air Force as a Special Signals Analyst and entered the agency in December of 2021. After spending a year and a half operating the Air Force mission, I transitioned to NSAs Talent, Learning & Development organization within the National Cryptologic University as a curriculum advocate for the school of Leadership & Business. The part that I love most about my job is the countless resources and opportunities it has to provide career development and growth. Due to this, I have been able to build a network and make connections with people in a very welcoming and helpful environment. If I handed you a magic wand, what would be your ideal workplace in terms of diversity, equality and inclusion? What does that look like for NSA as a whole? My ideal workplace in terms of diversity, equality, and inclusion is a working environment where my actions and opinions are valued. That includes knowing your employees beyond just a title or job description. What advice would you have for aspiring NSA employees? The advice I would give to aspiring NSA employees is to reach out of your comfort zone, take initiative, search for the unknown, and take a chance at every opportunity given. With this mentality, I have found my road to becoming a leader very rewarding and fast-paced. Extra question: If you could pick one word to represent what NHHM means to you, what would it be? PRIDE! Orgullo!

To start a career journey at NSA like Sandra,visit NSA.gov/careersorintelligencecareers.gov/NSA for more information on employment opportunities.

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A Flourishing Wildflower: Sandra Seizes the Day at NSA - National Security Agency

FORT MEADE, Md. - The National Security Agency (NSA) is joining U.S. federal partners to release cybersecurity guidance to promote understanding of open source software (OSS) implementation and provide best practices to secure operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) environments.

OSS is software with an open license for anyone to view, use, study, or modify, and is distributed with its source code. The diverse way in which OSS can be integrated into OT products can make it difficult to know whether particular software modules, and their associated vulnerabilities, are present and/or exploitable.

Implementation and patching of OSS in OT environments continues to be a challenge due to safety concerns and the potential disruption of critical systems. As the integration of OT and Information Technology (IT) networks increases, the critical infrastructure supporting these networks faces greater exposure to cyber threat campaigns.

The Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI) Improving Security of Open Source Software in Operational Technology and Industrial Control Systems offers best practices and recommendations for improving OSS security in OT/ICS environments, such as supporting OSS development and maintenance, patch management, authorization and authentication policies, and establishing common frameworks.

The joint cybersecurity guidance also encourages the adoption of secure-by-design and secure-by-default principles to decrease cybersecurity risk in OT environments. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) authored the CSI with contributions from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Agency (NSA), and U.S. Department of the Treasury. Read the full report here. Visit our full library for more cybersecurity information and technical guidance.

NSA Media Relations MediaRelations@nsa.gov 443-634-0721

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NSA and U.S. Agencies Issue Best Practices for Open Source ... - National Security Agency

Medical societies representing radiology, emergency medicine and anesthesiology on Monday blasted new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services related to the No Surprises Act.

CMS revealed the new details on Oct. 6 the same day it partially relaunched the independent dispute resolution process for settling disagreements between payers and providers over out-of-network payments. The federal government has indicated that it is not issuing directions on how health plans should calculate the qualifying payment amount, which is the key starting point of such disputes. Instead, insurers will have discretion to determine this figure via their own good-faith interpretation of recent court rulings and remaining regulations.

Our organizations are strongly opposed to this newest guidance, which further broadens the already significant discretion health plans had on how they may calculate qualifying payment amounts under the NSAs original implementation, the Radiology Business Management Association, American College of Radiology, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American College of Emergency Physicians and Emergency Department Practice Management Association said in a joint statement issued Oct. 9.

RBMA et al. also took issue with plans from the federal departments of HHS, Treasury and Labor to provide limited oversight of insurers in calculating the qualifying payment amount until at least May 1, 2024, and potentially Nov. 1 of next year. A Texas judge ruled in August that the methodology insurers use to calculate the QPA is tilted in their own favor, disallowing several provisions that go into this determination. The medical groups want the federal government to incorporate this court ruling into their guidance and prevent payers from slanting the IDR process in one direction.

Our organizations are very concerned about this delay in full enforcement, the medical societies wrote. There is already lax enforcement of insurer compliance with the NSAs requirements, including the fact that many plans are seemingly being allowed to delay payment to physicians (or simply not pay at all) following an independent dispute resolution ruling, without any consequences imposed by the departments. This newest announcement providing insurers with significant enforcement relief on the QPA further erodes the critical foundations Congress built into the NSA when it passed these important consumer protections into law and seems contrary to the federal court order which stated that this could be done expeditiously.

RBMA, ACR and the others are urging the departments to immediately reconsider this decision and promptly issue specific guidance on how health plans should calculate the QPA. Theyre also discouraged that, despite the relaunch of IDR on Oct. 6, the ability to batch together similar payment disputes remains in a holding pattern after recent court rulings.

Without any improved guidance on batching, the administrative efficiencies that come from being able to batch disputes will not be realized, thereby increasing costs for physician practices, while causing the current backlog of unresolved disputes to continue to grow, the statement closed. We urge the departments to quickly reopen the portal to batched determinations, and concurrently provide effective guidance to all affected parties.

You can find the full statement on the American College of Emergency Physicians website here, and read previous coverage about the NSA at the links below.

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Medical societies representing radiology, emergency medicine and ... - Radiology Business