Understanding the Biden Administration’s Cybersecurity Executive Order

In a nutshell, what is President Biden’s new cybersecurity executive order?

Defending against the ever-increasing number of catastrophic cyberattacks has become a priority for individuals and companies alike. The recent SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline incidents demonstrate the high degree of sophistication used to execute malicious cyberattacks, as well as the ruinous impact they can have on a business. In reaction to the onslaught of this criminal activity, President Biden has issued an executive order (EO) on improving the federal government’s efforts to identify, deter, and respond to cybersecurity incidents that threaten security and privacy.

What are some of the key elements of the EO?

The White House’s EO factsheet highlights key points aimed at having a transparent infrastructure between government bodies and the private sector, including:

• Removing barriers to sharing threat information
• Modernizing federal government cybersecurity
• Enhancing software supply chain security
• Establishing a cyber safety review board
• Standardizing the federal government’s playbook for responding to cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents
• Improving detection of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents on federal government networks
• Improving the federal government’s investigative and remediation capabilities

To review the complete EO, please view the White House’s report here.

How is this going to affect your business?

If your company does business with the federal government and its agencies and contractors, this EO should be carefully evaluated to ensure you are meeting the necessary requirements. However, even if your company does not do business with the federal government, you should review the EO, as it could be a model for future regulatory requirements.

How can Citrin Cooperman help?

Citrin Cooperman’s experience in the cybersecurity space can help your organization understand the nuances of the EO in order to determine whether your business is affected by its objectives. Please contact Kevin Ricci at kricci@citrincooperman.com.