White House Releases Ambitious New Cybersecurity Strategy to Protect US from Cyber Threats

The White House has released a new national cybersecurity strategy, calling for comprehensive regulation of the nation’s vital services. The 38-page blueprint acknowledges that reliance on voluntary cybersecurity measures has not been enough to prevent billions in economic losses due to a spike in ransomware attacks, as well as “inadequate and inconsistent outcomes” across critical infrastructure like energy pipelines, food companies, schools and hospitals.

The strategy, shaped by major hacking incidents in the first year of the Biden administration, embraces the US government’s regulatory and purchasing power to force companies that are critical to economic and national security to raise their cyber defenses. It calls for new federal regulation of vulnerable critical infrastructure firms and for software makers to be held liable when their products leave gaping holes for hackers to exploit.

The framework, led by the Office of the National Cyber Director in the White House, also calls out China, Russia, Iran and North Korea for aggressive cyber tactics exhibiting “reckless disregard for the rule of law” and elevates ransomware attacks, such as the 2021 Russia-linked offensive on Colonial Pipeline, to issues of national security.

The strategy also includes a focus on developing a more secure and resilient digital infrastructure, as well as a commitment to protecting the privacy of individuals and businesses. It also calls for the government to invest in research and development of new technologies and to promote public-private partnerships to better protect the nation’s digital infrastructure.

The White House’s new cybersecurity strategy is an ambitious plan to protect the nation’s digital infrastructure and to hold companies accountable for the security of their products. It is a step in the right direction to ensure that the US is better prepared to protect itself from cyber threats.