President Trump Outlines Aggressive Cyber Strategy
Commentary by Steven Lofchie
President Donald Trump outlined a proactive strategy to aggressively disrupt cyber threats, secure critical infrastructure, and achieve superiority in critical and emerging technologies.
In a Cyber-Strategy Report issued by the White House, the president identified six strategic "pillars": (i) shape adversarial behavior; (ii) promote common sense regulation; (iii) modernize and secure federal government networks, (iv) secure critical infrastructure; (v) sustain superiority in critical and emerging technologies; and (vi) build talent and capacity.
The President stated that the administration will work to dismantle hacker networks, sanction foreign hacking companies, and impose severe consequences on cybercriminals and adversaries who target American citizens and businesses. He said the U.S. government will implement "zero-trust architecture," "cloud transitions," and artificial intelligence solutions to defend government networks and the nation’s critical infrastructures against malicious actors. He said the administration will prioritize hardening essential services, "such as the energy grid, ... water utilities," and hospitals, while moving away from adversary vendors to protect operational supply chains.
The President emphasized the importance of American superiority in emerging technologies, streamlining cybersecurity regulations to reduce compliance burdens and allowing the private sector to innovate rapidly.
Commentary
If the world is, as President Trump believes, a dangerous place, it makes good sense to have a policy that provides for taking the offense.
Not long ago, former CFTC Chair Giancarlo suggested that U.S. privateers be turned loose on enemy nations engaged in cyber crimes in the United States. (See 5 Ideas Pitched at the White House Crypto Summit Behind Closed Doors.) President Trump might want to consider some of these out-of-the-box strategies.