As a Cyber Security Specialists, our one of the main duties is to follow legal regulations and national and international directives as many of them will relate to our works in any scale. Here is a summary of US President Josef R. BIDEN JR. ‘s executive order on 12 May, 2021. Some key take aways that will be important for any web / mobile developpers, IT specialists and most importantly Cyber Security professionals. This short summary misses many details in the long presidential order. I suggest those in position for decition making to read all the details. I am one of those that believes that the details will certainly make significant differences.
Again this is about Executive Order 14028 which was issued by president Joe Biden on “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” on May 12, 2021, in response to the increasing number of cyberattacks targeting U.S. government agencies, critical infrastructure, and private companies. This comprehensive order aims to enhance cybersecurity measures across both the public and private sectors. Means for all of us!
Key Objectives
The executive order focuses on several critical areas like :
Threat Intelligence Sharing: Federal contractors, including cloud and cybersecurity providers, are required to share threat intelligence and report incidents to affected agencies and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Enhanced Security Measures: Federal agencies and critical infrastructure institutions must adopt stronger security standards, including:
- Implementing zero trust security
- Developing incident response playbooks
- Deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) technology
Software Supply Chain Security: The order mandates improved security for software used by federal government agencies. This includes:
- Securing development environments
- Generating Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs)
- Encrypting data
- Disclosing vulnerabilities
Incident Investigation: A Cyber Safety Review Board has been established to investigate and assess significant cyber incidents affecting federal and non-federal systems.
Implementation and Impact
The order sets specific timelines for various agencies to develop and implement new cybersecurity standards and practices. While primarily focused on federal agencies and contractors, it encourages the private sector to adopt similar measures voluntarily. I belive it will give a strong foundation for the rest of the world as well.
By establishing these comprehensive cybersecurity measures, the Biden administration aims to create a more resilient and secure digital infrastructure for the United States, addressing the evolving landscape of cyber threats and vulnerabilities. I belive the focus on Cyber Security is so far successful as we do not read every week another news about another US public sector or infrastructure is being attacked or held hostage by ransomware groups. What do you think?
Click the link below to read full executive order of White House from the official web site :
