On May 12, President Joe Biden issued the Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. This executive order (EO) is the most recent action by the administration to strengthen U.S. national cyber defenses and address cybersecurity threats and attacks that continue to grow in magnitude, impact and frequency. It is intended to protect networks in the federal, public and private sectors, and to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to cyber attacks when they occur, as well as to improve information sharing between the U.S. government and the private sector.
The EO is a step toward moving government action from response to attacks post-occurrence to prevention. It is the latest signal to all organizations doing business with the government that increased federal oversight and potential regulation of cybersecurity measures are coming.
The scope of the EO includes systems that process data, along with operational technology, whether cloud-based, on-premises or hybrid. Given that the United States is the world’s largest buyer of IT services, the execution of the objectives detailed in this EO will impact federal agencies as well as a broad range of public and private sector organizations. The EO also calls for partnered efforts between the federal government and the private sector to foster a more secure cyberspace, calling on the private sector to adapt to the continuously changing threat environment and ensure its products are built and operate securely.
Protiviti has issued a Flash Report, describing the context and key provisions of the EO and recommending actions for organizations to consider. To discuss further, reach out to Protiviti at IR@protiviti.com.
