Officials from various federal agencies discussed ways law enforcement and regulators can work together to “advance and improve” the use of what they described as self-regulatory approaches to cybersecurity across sectors, according to participants in the latest meeting of an informal interagency group.
The interagency cybersecurity “forum” of federal independent and regulatory agencies met Thursday to learn more about self-regulatory approaches to cybersecurity, a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman told Inside Cybersecurity. The FDA co-led the all-day meeting with the Federal Trade Commission.
The FDA spokeswoman said the meeting focused on helping federal agency leaders understand third-party cybersecurity guidance, standards and frameworks that are available to inform companies’ cybersecurity programs. Further, it examined the “interplay” between self-regulatory approaches and existing law enforcement protocols and regulations in cybersecurity.
The group brought in “outside experts” from industry to discuss voluntary mechanisms for cybersecurity, according to a spokesman from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which chairs the forum.
Though the meeting did not reach any formal “outcome,” the group will offer a presentation on lessons learned from today’s meeting at a future meeting of the forum’s leaders, an FTC official told Inside Cybersecurity.
The group’s focus follows its previous work on cyber information sharing, which was led by the Federal Communications Commission. Though the forum was originally expected to produce guidance on streamlining cybersecurity regulations, a government official told Inside Cybersecurity that the group would serve as a “high-level discussion forum” for top officials to share how they are addressing cyber issues. – Joshua Higgins (jhiggins@iwpnews.com)