Cybersecurity Executive Order: A Smooth Handoff for America’s Cybersecurity

A New Era in Cybersecurity

As President Biden prepares to hand over the government to the incoming Trump administration, he has issued a new cybersecurity executive order (EO) outlining an aggressive cyber-defense plan for today’s most dangerous national cyber threats — including China, and rampant software supply chain vulnerabilities across government and the private sector.

A Sweeping and Ambitious Plan

The EO reads like a detailed US cybersecurity status report from the Biden administration, focused on laying groundwork for the incoming team. And with threats on the rise across the world, party affiliation and partisan predilections aside, America and Americans’ cybersecurity relies on a smooth handoff from Biden to Trump, experts say.

Positive Signs Ahead

The signs are positive so far. The order is a reflection of a forthright and responsible transition to the Trump administration, according to Tom Cross, a cybersecurity strategist at WitFoo.

Cybersecurity: A Shared Interest

"Cybersecurity is not a partisan issue — everyone in the United States has a shared interest in protecting our nation against foreign cyber threats, such as China," says Coleman Mehta, head of global public policy and strategy at Infoblox. "And put it into practice throughout Trump’s first term, according to Coleman Mehta, head of global public policy and strategy at Infoblox. Yet, he was willing to build on previous cybersecurity policies from the Obama administration."

Continuity and Progress

"Similarly, President Biden often built on policies set by Trump," Mehta tells Dark Reading. "The fundamentals of that continuity should stay the same; focus on the threat from Chinese cyber adversaries, strengthen supply chain security, and continue to build public-private collaboration."

A Global Cyber Threat Landscape

During his recent Senate confirmation hearings for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) indicated an interest in seeing policy changes that address the global cyber supply chain threat, Flashpoint’s Borene points out.

A Well-Executed Handoff

"Looking ahead, the new administration inherits a world of rapidly escalating state threats from adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, along with a growing network of cyber proxies and even transnational criminal extortion groups," Borene says. "A well-executed handoff of some of the executive order’s provisions could bolster US cyber defenses at a time when proactive information security has never been more critical."