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11May17

Trump signs executive order on cybersecurity

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at strengthening cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure.

"We've seen increasing attacks from allies, adversaries, primarily nation-states, but also non-nation-state actors, and sitting by and doing nothing is no longer an option," Trump's homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said at a daily briefing.

When asked if it's the Russian hack that led to this order, Bossert said, "It wasn't a Russia-motivated issue. It was a United States of America-motivated issue."

He said the priorities on protecting networks, which is the first section of the order, include agency heads being held accountable for implementing risk management measures and a preference in federal procurement for shared IT services, including moving to the cloud services.

"If we don't move to shared services, we have 190 agencies that are all trying to develop their own defenses against advanced protection and collection efforts. I don't think that's a wise approach," Bossert said.

The second section of the order focused on protecting the US's critical infrastructure, requiring a report within 90 days on cybersecurity risks facing the defense industrial base, including its supply chain, and U.S. military platforms, systems, networks, and capabilities, and recommendations for mitigating these risks.

In the third and final part of the order, Trump demanded a report within 90 days on "the Nation's strategic options for deterring adversaries and better protecting the American people from cyber threats."

[Source: Xinhua, Washington, 11May17]
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