Biden unveils 'zero trust' cybersecurity strategy for govt
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Following a 2020 hacking incident of several US agencies' networks, the Biden administration reveals a new strategy that enables agencies to detect, isolate, and respond to cybersecurity threats more rapidly.
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Cybersecurity has long been a point of contingency between the United States, Russia and China.
The Biden administration has unveiled a new federal cybersecurity strategy based on a "zero trust" standard to protect government systems from hostile hacks and other attacks, the White House announced Wednesday.
"Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a Federal strategy to move the US government toward a 'zero trust' approach to cybersecurity," a White House press release read.
"The strategy represents a key step forward in delivering on President Biden's Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity," the Biden admin added.
According to Washington, the new strategy would focus on advancing security measures that dramatically reduce the risk of successful cyber attacks against the federal government's digital infrastructure.
The newly adopted strategy would enable agencies to detect, isolate, and respond to cybersecurity threats more rapidly.
The strategy, the White House said, would also detail a series of specific security goals for agencies, serving as a comprehensive roadmap for shifting the Federal Government to a new cybersecurity paradigm that would help protect the US.
Additionally, it sets a deadline of the end of 2024 for all federal employees to use online networks only through several layers of security to their internal operations from hackers.
The initiative comes after a 2020 hacking of several US agencies' networks, some of which are operated by the Department of Justice and Homeland Security.
A bit of background
President Biden had said in the summer of 2021 that cyberattacks on the US would lead to a "real shooting war" with a major power.
A few months afterward, he excluded Russia from a cybersecurity conference to address cybercrime and ransomware, in which 30 countries participated.
Despite the exclusion of Russia, the United States hailed a "discernible decrease" of cyberattacks emanating from Russia.
And less than two weeks ago, a senior US administration official revealed the US welcomes Russia's steps in combating ransomware launched from within Russian territories.
During a briefing, the official revealed that the US "welcomes reports that the Kremlin is taking law enforcement steps to address ransomware emanating from within its borders."
