The Biden-Harris administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy turned one year old on March 2, and the White House’s cyber lead touted that his office has been “working tirelessly” to coordinate implementation of the sweeping policy document.
National Cyber Director (NCD) Harry Coker said Federal agencies have made progress on the 69 initiatives identified in the first iteration of the strategy’s implementation plan released in July, and noted that more than 20 of those tasks are already completed.
The NCS keys on multiple focus points – including continuing efforts to improve security in already-regulated critical infrastructure sectors, a high-level goal of shifting more security responsibility onto providers of tech products and services, and a robust focus on using “all tools of national power” to go after attackers.
“The release of the Strategy kicked off significant work across the Federal Government to protect the nation and the digital systems that touch nearly every aspect of American life,” Coker wrote in a March 4 blog post.
“While the Strategy is enduring, its implementation is iterative. We’ll be sharing the next version of the implementation plan soon but today, one year in, ONCD would like to share some of our progress,” he added.
The cyber lead highlighted one successful example from each of the strategy’s five pillars: defending critical infrastructure; disrupting and dismantling threat actors; shaping market forces and driving security and resilience; investing in a resilient future; and forging international partnerships to pursue shared goals.
In line with the first pillar, Coker noted that ONCD, in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, developed, updated, and published multiple exercise scenarios for the healthcare, water, maritime transportation, chemical, and commercial facilities critical infrastructure sectors, and the election sub-sector.
To disrupt and dismantle threat actors, the Pentagon publicly released a summary of its new Cyber Strategy, which is focused on further incorporating cyber into all-domain deterrence and continuing to persistently engage malicious cyber actors engaged in offensive operations against the nation.
Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget proposed changes to the way the Federal government buys internet of things devices to ensure that they are secure by design to shape market forces and drive security and resilience.
Coker also highlighted that the National Institute of Standards and Technology is “doubling down” on work to ensure that the Federal government, in partnership with industry, is present in multinational standards developing organizations to invest in a resilient future.
Finally, for the NCS’s fifth pillar – forging international partnerships to pursue shared goals – Coker noted that the State Department Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy – which was launched in April 2022 – is working diligently to build and strengthen international coalitions to counter malicious cyber actors.
In addition, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has awarded more than $130 million in grants from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund that will help test the security of open, interoperable wireless networks.
“Protecting the country in cyberspace is a whole-of-nation effort,” Coker concluded. “We are proud to lead the charge and know there is much more work to do.”
