DHS hosts Cyber Disruption Consequences Management Workshop

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — IT representatives from various government agencies, the private sector, FEMA and Federal Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis personnel met at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Tafuna earlier this month for a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hosted Cyber Disruption Consequences Management Workshop.

The workshop focused on addressing cyber incident challenges and enhancing participants' understanding of effective strategies for managing consequences.

According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, the workshop included various exercises and discussions, where attendees explored the complexities of American Samoa's cyber infrastructure, emphasizing the need for collaborative response strategies to mitigate disruptions in government systems and public services.

DHS Director Samana S. Ve’ave’a delivered the opening remarks highlighting one of the key priorities of the Lemanu-Talauega Administration in this field. “At this workshop we reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding our territory’s digital landscape,” he said in part.

Key topics of discussion were the importance of government, private sector, and public collaborations, along with operational continuity through backups and redundancy systems.

Experts from OITA, FBI, CISA, and the American Samoa Broadband Coordinating (BCORD) Office delivered informative presentations. Participants received practical tools and resources to enhance their cybersecurity practices, while lively discussions and a cybersecurity panel discussion with notable representatives fostered strong relationships with response partners and stakeholders.

The panel included Governor's Office Technology Office CIO Ray Tulafono, AS Broadband Coordinator Andrew Berquist from the Department of Commerce (DOC), Esau Esau from the DHS Fusion Center, Mr. Roach-Vaden and Ms. LaBrunda. They each shared their organization's cybersecurity responsibilities and emphasized the necessity of public-private collaboration in combating cyber threats in American Samoa. The workshop left attendees with actionable lessons and a profound understanding of the importance of planning for and managing disruptive cyber incidents.

DHS extends its gratitude to all participants, speakers, and partners for their active participation and dedication to bolstering the territory's cyber preparedness.

ASG IT representatives included the Department of Treasury, Public Works, Port Administration, ASTCA, Commerce, Legal Affairs, and Homeland Security. Representation from the private sector included Blue Sky Communications and Hawaiian Airlines.

Federal participants included Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Federal Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis (OITA), and featured prominent experts, including Ms. Nicole Coughlin and Ms. Caitlyn Sarna from the Argonne National Laboratory, Mr. Raysyn Roach-Vaden from the FBI Honolulu Office, and Ms. Jennilyn  P.  LaBrunda, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).