Biden strengthens US cyber defenses against Russia and China threats
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Outgoing president signs executive order to tackle US vulnerabilities after attacks that have cost country billions. The Biden administration is making a final push to fortify America’s cyber defenses against mounting threats from China and Russia, issuing a sweeping cybersecurity executive order just days before leaving office that aims to tackle vulnerabilities from outer space to consumer electronics.
The wide-ranging directive is likely to be the administration’s last big policy push before handing the keys over to Donald Trump, who heads to the White House next week and inherits a new world of cyber attacks that have cost the nation billions of dollars and punctured government offices.
“The goal is to make it costlier and harder for China, Russia, Iran and ransomware criminals to hack and to signal that America means business when it comes to protecting our businesses and our citizens,” a senior administration official told reporters on Wednesday.
The order arrives in the wake of devastating Chinese-linked cyber attacks, including recent breaches of the US treasury department and telecommunications systems that reportedly compromised communications of incoming president Donald Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance.
Among its most striking provisions is a mandate for federal agencies to implement end-to-end encryption for email and video communications, alongside new requirements for artificial intelligence-powered cyber defence systems and quantum computing safeguards.
