In an effort to improve the nation’s cybersecurity, protect federal government networks, and enhance information sharing between the U.S. government and the private sector, President Biden signed an Executive Order on May 12, 2021.
The order highlighted recent cybersecurity attacks--such as the SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, and Colonial Pipeline incidents--as the impetus for needing to modernize cybersecurity defenses. While the order acknowledged that most private sector companies make their own decisions regarding cybersecurity, it highly encouraged these companies to follow the government’s lead and take quick measures to beef up their security efforts. Plus, to further encourage organizations to prioritize these efforts, incentives have been put in place around various security initiatives. The end goal: to minimize the chance of future attacks.
To help you better understand the Executive Order, we break down some of the key initiatives and discuss their potential impacts.