Dams Sector 2014 Information Sharing Drill

2014 Dams Sector Information Sharing Drill

The Dams Sector Information Sharing Drill is an annually recurring learning environment for sector stakeholders to identify and assess information sharing issues and concerns that could potentially affect the sector during heightened threat conditions.

The drill provides an opportunity to evaluate capabilities to receive and share cyber and physical security-related information in response to increasing threats and relevant incidents.

Schedule

The 2014 Dams Sector Information Sharing Drill will be conducted over a period of three days, February 10 – 12, 2014, with a Hot Wash on February 13, 2014 to discuss issues and lessons learned.

Benefits

This information sharing exercise provides sector stakeholders with an opportunity to examine internal cyber and physical incident policies, plans and procedures. In addition, it is intended to identify potential communication or information sharing gaps and emergency notification procedures at the sector level. The feedback gathered from the Hot Wash will be used to update the current procedures in place for sector-wide notifications.

Objectives

The drill focuses on the following objectives:

• Assess the ability of sector stakeholders to efficiently exchange threat and vulnerability information with each other, all levels of government, and cross-sector stakeholders.
• Evaluate the timeliness and usefulness of threat and vulnerability information in building sector-wide situational awareness during physical and cyber incidents.
• Identify and analyze physical and cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences to determine if operational changes or enhanced protective measures are warranted.
• Strengthen partnerships across the sector by improving information sharing and collaboratively developing best practices and lessons learned that allow all stakeholders to better protect themselves against physical and cyber threats.

Scenario

The scenario begins overseas and includes cyber-attacks with physical implications against dam infrastructure in the United States. To maximize benefits to participants, the threat stream focuses on U.S. dam facilities, allowing each player to test their emergency notification procedures under increasing threat conditions. 

Construct

During the three-day drill, participants are presented with a scenario describing incidents relevant to the physical and cyber infrastructure of the Dams Sector.

Information is disseminated through bulletins and alerts developed by the Dams Sector-Specific Agency in conjunction with various U.S. Department of Homeland Security components such as the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, and other Federal Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

During the exercise, relevant information such as news releases, joint information bulletins, and suspicious activity reports as well as other alerts and warnings, are posted on the Homeland Security Information Network Critical Infrastructure (HSIN-CI) Dams Portal. As the exercise play develops, the drill may also include different types of emergency notifications and teleconferences.

Participation in this sector-wide drill, which takes place remotely, should not require more than a couple of hours per day to review and react to drill injects.