Cybersecurity executive order

On May 12, President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed at improving the nation’s cybersecurity and protecting federal government networks. A White House statement highlighted recent cybersecurity attacks like SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, and the Colonial Pipeline as strong reminders of the threat the country’s public and private sectors face. These incidents, which have increased significantly in healthcare, showcase the need for a strong digital identity strategy and cybersecurity defenses.

The Executive Order on cybersecurity aims to modernize defenses by protecting federal networks, improving the share of information between the U.S. government and the private sector on cyber issues, and strengthening the country’s ability to take action as soon as incidents happen.

President Biden’s Executive Order intends to address cybersecurity through these initiatives:

1. Increase ease of information sharing about threats between government and private sector.
2. Improve and modernize Federal Government cybersecurity standards.
3. Improve the security of software supply chain.
4. Create a Cybersecurity Safety Review Board.
5. Create a standard response playbook for responding to cyber incidents.
6. Improve cybersecurity incident detection on government networks.
7. Improve investigative and remediation capabilities.

While the Executive Order focuses on protecting government networks, it encourages the private sector to take aggressive steps in increasing their cybersecurity investment and focus.