Information Technology | South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

The Information Technology Sector is increasingly central to the nation’s security as its functions are integrated into business, government, academia, and private citizens’ lives. This sector provides essential hardware, software, and information technology systems and services that are virtual and distributed. A prime example is the Internet, which the sector enables through close collaboration with the Communications Sector.

SC CIC has partnered with IT and security service providers in South Carolina that serve other critical infrastructure sectors. These partnerships enhance cross-sector collaboration and help illuminate and manage cascading issues that begin in one sector and then affect others. Information Technology Sector partners receive targeted threat intelligence bulletins for their sector and the ones they support. They also help connect SC CIC with new organizations that qualify as critical infrastructure. This synergistic partnership allows both SC CIC and the service provider to continue enhancing the overall security posture of the state.

Resources for the Information Technology Sector:

IT professional using a desktop computer, laptop, and pad device.

CISA | Information Technology Sector Webpage

CISA’s Information Technology Sector webpage contains detailed information on what types of organizations belong to the Information Technology Sector in the U.S. along with federal plans for the sector (Information Technology Sector-Specific Plan) and all critical infrastructure in the country (National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)). Sector-specific plans address how the NIPP should be utilized while considering each sector’s unique perspective.

IT professional working on a server stack.

Information Technology Information Sharing & Analysis Center (IT-ISAC)

Information Sharing & Analysis Centers (ISACs) help critical infrastructure professionals protect their infrastructure and employees from cybersecurity threats through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of threat information. ISACs help increase situational awareness across the critical infrastructure sectors through information sharing, partnerships, and networking opportunities.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is responsible for providing measurement and standards for technologies of all sizes. With the increasing risk and prevalence of cyber-related events, NIST has developed invaluable resources for cybersecurity professionals, including the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (CSF), National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity, Privacy and Risk Management Frameworks. NIST is also home to the Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC), which contains information on many of NIST's cybersecurity- and information security-related projects, publications, news, and events.