Cybersecurity Incident Response Team (CIRT)
The Washington Volunteer Cybersecurity Incident Response Team (CIRT) strengthens the resilience of Washington’s communities and critical infrastructure by providing trusted, volunteer-driven incident response support, preparedness guidance and cyber defense collaboration. We work alongside public and private partners to help detect, contain and recover from cyber incidents, promote secure-by-design practices and expand practical training that improves readiness across the state. Our mission is grounded in service, integrity, and professionalism — protecting sensitive information, prioritizing safety and continuity of essential services and building a capable, connected network of responders who can assist when Washington needs it most.
Request CIRT Support
The CIRT program organizes and provides qualified cybersecurity professionals as volunteer cyber incident responders. These volunteers are vetted and credentialed under the state’s Emergency Worker Program to ensure proficiency in one or more of the competency areas listed in the NICE Framework.
We are currently building our CIRT Team and not available to respond to CIRT support requests.
Apply to Join the CIRT
New Volunteer CIRT applicants should have a strong interest in protecting their community’s critical infrastructure and be willing to learn, follow documented procedures and work respectfully as part of a team under incident leadership. Ideal applicants bring some mix of IT/cybersecurity experience (or relevant adjacent experience like networking, systems administration, OT/ICS, risk, compliance, DFIR, or helpdesk), demonstrate good judgment and professionalism and can commit to training requirements, confidentiality expectations and safe handling of sensitive information. The online application process is simple: candidates complete a web form with basic contact details, location/availability, relevant skills and experience and areas of interest (e.g., incident response, threat intel, vulnerability management, communications), then agree to the team’s code of conduct and participation requirements; after submission, applicants may be contacted for follow-up questions, onboarding steps and training assignments before being added to the volunteer roster. To be eligible to join CIRT, all prospective volunteers must pass a federal background check or provide proof of a recent background check through a recognized federal process (federal security clearance, TSA PreCheck, NEXUS, Global Entry, InfraGard membership).