Securing our nation’s chemical sector infrastructure is crucial to our economic prosperity, national security, and public health and safety. Every day, thousands of chemical facilities across the country—from small companies to national laboratories—use, manufacture, store, and transport hazardous chemicals in a complex, global chain that affects other critical infrastructure sectors.
Enhancing security and resilience across the chemical industry to reduce the risk of hazardous chemicals being weaponized requires a collaborative effort. To this end, CISA has developed voluntary and regulatory programs and resources to help stakeholders—private industry, public sector, and law enforcement—secure chemical facilities from many threats: cyberattacks, biohazards, insider threats, and theft and diversion for use in chemical or explosive weapons.
In light of international events with the potential for retaliatory aggression against the U.S. and our critical infrastructure, CISA released a Chemical Security CISA Insights bulletin that urges facilities with chemicals of interest (COI)—whether tiered or untiered under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program—to consider enhanced security measures to decrease the likelihood of a successful attack. Read the entire Chemical Security CISA Insights bulletin.
ALERT: Due to the critical nature of the ongoing Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities, CISA is recommending that all facilities that use Microsoft Exchange Server on-premises products review Alert AA21-062A: Mitigate Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities, check for signs of compromise, and apply the necessary Microsoft Exchange Server updates to affected systems to protect against these exploits and avoid being compromised. While CFATS high-risk facilities are not being required to implement heightened security measures under Risk-Based Performance Standard (RBPS) 14 of their security plans or under other CFATS authorities at this time, CISA may activate these requirements in the future.
ANNOUNCEMENT: CISA recently released Secure Your Chemicals: Before, During, and After a Pandemic—a resource developed in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (FBI WMDD) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to ensure chemical facilities that manufacture, store, use, or transport hazardous chemicals are prepared for and remain diligent to secure hazardous chemicals during a pandemic event.
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards
CFATS is a CISA regulatory program focused on security at high-risk chemical facilities to ensure security measures are in place to reduce the risk that certain hazardous chemicals are weaponized by terrorists.
Ammonium Nitrate Security Program
The ANSP is a proposed regulatory program that seeks to reduce the likelihood of a terrorist attack involving the misuse of ammonium nitrate by creating a registration program for purchasers and sellers.
Chemical Security Events
CISA sponsors events throughout the year to engage with stakeholders, exchange security-related information, and share best practices regarding chemical security.