CESER’s Threat Analysis and Incident Response (TAIR) division focuses on advanced threat analysis and risk management through the Energy Threat Analysis Center (ETAC) and delivers valuable preparedness exercises and training such as ClearPath and Liberty Eclipse. TAIR is responsible for CESER’s incident response efforts and supports DOE’s Federal Power Act (FPA) Section 202(c) authority to ensure secure, reliable, and affordable energy during emergencies.
Areas of Focus
CESER and the Energy Threat Analysis Center (ETAC) deliver timely and actionable analysis, recommendations, and mitigation strategies that address threats to the energy sector.
Explicit Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) authority given to DOE and CESER. CESER leads federal collaboration with the electricity and ONG subsectors. Specialized expertise includes risk management, vulnerability assessments, incident mitigation, and emergency preparedness.
(P.L. 115-283, § 9002, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), for FY 2021, 6 U.S.C. § 665d)
The Cybersecurity Risk Information Sharing Program (CRISP) and associated information sharing pilots comprise the leading information sharing and energy sector cyber situational awareness platforms for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). CRISP is a public-private partnership that delivers relevant and actionable cybersecurity information to participants from United States electricity industry. Collaboration between government and private industry is essential to combat cyber threats to United States critical electric infrastructure.
The Energy Threat Analysis Center (ETAC), a program within the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), is a public-private partnership that convenes experts from DOE and the United States (U.S.) energy sector to collectively identify, analyze, and mitigate cyber threats to America’s critical energy infrastructure. The ETAC integrates industry data and context with government intelligence to enable collaboration that disrupts threats to the energy sector.
Each year, CESER addresses the emerging hazards of tomorrow through a series of meticulously planned, risk-oriented, threat-informed, objectives-based exercises. These engagements provide the opportunity for energy sector stakeholders to validate shared capabilities, measure sector resiliency, and identify gaps through critical evaluation and generation of actionable outputs and lessons learned.
During any cyberattack or disaster, whether it be a hurricane, wildfire, earthquake, or volcanic eruption, Department of Energy (DOE) emergency responders are prepared to work with their partners to aid in restoring power to those impacted. DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) coordinates DOE’s response to hazards facing the energy sector.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead agency for Emergency Support Function (ESF) #12—Energy under the National Response Framework and Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) for the energy sector. The Department works closely with public and private sector partners to secure the nation’s critical energy infrastructure against all hazards, reduce the risk of disruptive events, and respond to energy disruptions that could have devastating effects on national security, public health and safety, and the U.S. economy.
Under Federal Power Act (FPA) section 202(c), during the continuance of a war in which the United States is engaged or when an emergency exists by reason of a sudden increase in the demand for electric energy, or a shortage of electric energy, or of facilities for the generation or transmission of electric energy, or of the fuel or water for generating facilities, or other causes, the Secretary of Energy may require by order temporary connections of facilities, and generation, delivery, interchange, or transmission of electricity as the Secretary determines will best meet the emergency and serve the public interest. 16 U.S.C. § 824a(c).