Biden Signs Final Cybersecurity Order to Strengthen US Defences Against Global Threats

• Biden’s final executive order aims to bolster U.S. cybersecurity against threats from China, Russia, and ransomware criminals.
• New measures include stronger encryption, AI-powered energy sector protection, and enhanced cybercrime sanctions.
• Federal contractors now required to publicly verify compliance with secure software development standards.

President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order on Thursday aimed at bolstering America’s cybersecurity after a series of high-profile cyberattacks on federal networks, which U.S. officials have attributed to operatives from China and Russia.

The directive follows months of review by U.S. officials into major hacking incidents during the Biden administration, including Russia’s alleged disruption of a satellite provider before its invasion of Ukraine and China’s reported infiltration of U.S. telecom networks to spy on political leaders.

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Anne Neuberger, a senior White House official, said the goal of the order is to “make it costlier and harder for China, Russia, Iran, and ransomware criminals to hack” while putting the country on a path toward stronger cybersecurity.

The order mandates stronger encryption to safeguard federal employees’ communications from interception, addressing vulnerabilities exploited in the Chinese telecom hack. It also expands the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber agency’s authority to collect critical data from federal networks to probe advanced hacking operations.

Additionally, the directive empowers the Treasury Department to sanction cybercriminals and foreign operatives targeting U.S. infrastructure. It introduces programs to combat identity fraud and deploy artificial intelligence to shield the energy sector from attacks.

The executive order underscores the Biden administration’s concerns over inadequate security practices among software vendors contracted by the government. A U.S.-backed review of Microsoft’s security practices in 2023 revealed significant errors that enabled Chinese hackers to breach the company’s systems and access U.S. officials’ email accounts. Microsoft has since implemented reforms.

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Building on earlier initiatives, the order now requires contractors to publicly share evidence that their software meets secure development standards. Federal agencies will make this data available online, promoting transparency and accountability.

Cybersecurity has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, but it remains uncertain whether the incoming Trump administration will retain or revise the order. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser nominee, has advocated for more aggressive cyber operations but has not outlined plans for defensive strategies.

Biden’s latest directive reflects his administration’s commitment to tackling growing cyber threats and ensuring federal systems are better protected against evolving risks.

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