Welcome to ISPG CyberGeek

We’d like to welcome you to the brand-new CyberGeek! CyberGeek was designed by the CMS Information Security and Privacy Group (ISPG) to offer their customers a one-stop resource for information about security, privacy, and compliance. CyberGeek will: 

• Point people to the resources and information they need to accomplish their tasks
• Provide information that is current, authoritative, and easy to understand
• Replace and expand upon the former CMS Information Security and Privacy Library
• Offer the latest cybersecurity news, updates, and events at CMS

As you explore the new site, we’d like to point out some of the key features that will make things easier for you: 

User-friendly content in plain language

When creating the content for CyberGeek, we kept human-centered design principles at the heart of our work. That means that as you enter CyberGeek, you can expect information that is: 

• Simple – We’ve avoided jargon and used plain language on the site. Shorter is usually better.
• Approachable – Our goal is to make complex topics understandable by everyone. CyberGeek is authoritative but friendly.
• Helpful– We want to give people the information they need to accomplish their tasks. No more, no less.

To meet the goals stated above, you’ll find that the ISPG documents and policies you already know have been translated from PDF to HTML. CyberGeek will allow you to search directly within documents and share web links instead of passing around PDFs. Say farewell to version control issues –you can be confident that the information on CyberGeek is the most up-to-date version of the document you need. 

Accessible contact information

During the development of CyberGeek, our team spoke with and surveyed hundreds of CMS employees and contractors. We heard lots of feedback, but one recurring pain point was that it was difficult to know who to contact with questions about specific processes and policies. To address this challenge, each page on CyberGeek offers the following features: 

• Email contact for the program at the top of every page 
• Available Slack channels where users can ask questions 
• FAQ sections on many pages to address the most common questions

Robust search

CyberGeek was designed with search at the core. Starting on the home page and throughout the site, you’ll be able to search for the documents and information you need. We’ve also developed an intuitive system of tagging information that will let you filter search results by topic, by your role, or even by the type of resource you’re looking for (such as videos, events, handbooks, or policy documents). These search features will free up time and make life easier for CMS staff and contractors who are busy keeping FISMA systems safe and protecting PII for the millions of Americans that CMS serves.

Real-time updates and events 

The News and Updates section of CyberGeek will be your source for information that comes directly from ISPG offices, programs, and leaders.

The News and Updates section will feature short updates, long-form articles, and videos. If you are double-booked or miss an important meeting or update, you can easily find it on CyberGeek at a later date. And of course, all this content will be searchable, too, so if you’re looking to learn more about a specific topic, we got you.

We hope you love the new CyberGeek. As the site continues to grow, we constantly iterate  to make the available information, tools, and resources better. You can expect frequent updates to the site over the next few months – check back often to see what’s new. 

If you have questions or would like to contact the CyberGeek team, you can find us on Slack at #ispg-cybergeek.