Title 6 — Domestic SecurityRelease 119-73not60

§677a Definitions

Title 6 › Chapter 1— HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter XVIII— CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY › Part C— Declaration of a Significant Incident › § 677a

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in this part of the law. Asset response activity means help for an organization hit by an incident, such as giving technical and advisory support, checking risks and ripple effects, making plans to reduce harm, sharing information with responders, and advising how to use federal help to recover. Declaration means a formal declaration by the Secretary under the part’s rules. Director means the head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Federal agency means the same thing as “agency” in federal law. Fund means the Cyber Response and Recovery Fund set up under this part. Incident uses the meaning given in federal law. Renewal means renewing a Secretary’s declaration under this part. A significant incident means an incident (or related group of incidents) that causes or likely will cause clear harm to U.S. national security, foreign relations, the economy, public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and safety. It does not include incidents that occur on national security systems or on certain information systems described in federal law.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §677a

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purposes of this part:

(1)The term “asset response activity” means an activity to support an entity impacted by an incident with the response to, remediation of, or recovery from, the incident, including—

(A)furnishing technical and advisory assistance to the entity to protect the assets of the entity, mitigate vulnerabilities, and reduce the related impacts;

(B)assessing potential risks to the critical infrastructure sector or geographic region impacted by the incident, including potential cascading effects of the incident on other critical infrastructure sectors or geographic regions;

(C)developing courses of action to mitigate the risks assessed under subparagraph (B);

(D)facilitating information sharing and operational coordination with entities performing threat response activities; and

(E)providing guidance on how best to use Federal resources and capabilities in a timely, effective manner to speed recovery from the incident.

(2)The term “declaration” means a declaration of the Secretary under section 677b(a)(1) of this title.

(3)The term “Director” means the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

(4)The term “Federal agency” has the meaning given the term “agency” in section 3502 of title 44.

(5)The term “Fund” means the Cyber Response and Recovery Fund established under section 677c(a) of this title.

(6)The term “incident” has the meaning given the term in section 3552 of title 44.

(7)The term “renewal” means a renewal of a declaration under section 677b(d) of this title.

(8)The term “significant incident”—

(A)means an incident or a group of related incidents that results, or is likely to result, in demonstrable harm to—

(i)the national security interests, foreign relations, or economy of the United States; or

(ii)the public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and safety of the people of the United States; and

(B)does not include an incident or a portion of a group of related incidents that occurs on—

(i)a national security system (as defined in section 3552 of title 44); or

(ii)an information system described in paragraph (2) or (3) of section 3553(e) of title 44.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 677a

Title 6 — Domestic Security

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60