At a glance.
- Comment on the US National Cybersecurity Strategy.
- DoD requests an increase in cyber spending.
Comment on the US National Cybersecurity Strategy.
The White House last week released the US’s new National Cybersecurity Strategy, and this week experts are weighing in on the plan’s main takeaways. The legal experts at Baker Hostetler offer an overview of the strategy’s highlights, noting that it aims to pursue legislation that will better regulate the collection, use, and transfer of personal data. It also seeks to rebalance responsibility for cybersecurity defense between the federal government and the private sector, holding tech providers and the owners and operators of the systems that store our data responsible for securing those data. Lawfare discusses how this new approach could reshape cyberspace. While previous strategies have viewed the digital sphere as an immovable force legislators must work around, the new plan aims to restructure cyberspace in notable ways. First, by shifting responsibility for cybersecurity to the tech giants that develop the products and software. And secondly, through budgetary measures and regulations, it wishes to realign the incentives that drive the cyber market. However, some experts feel the strategy falls short of actually meeting these goals by not specifically stating how such change will be implemented, or how terms like “inherently resilient and defensible” will be assessed. War on the Rocks posits that the new strategy pushes the Biden administration’s liberal internationalism more overtly than past measures, making the assumption that the spread of liberal ideals like democracy and free trade will bolster national security. Whether this tactic pays off remains to be seen.
DoD requests an increase in cyber spending.
On Monday the US Department of Defense released its fiscal 2024 budget request, and it’s asking for $13.5 billion for its cyber efforts. C4ISRNet notes that this represents a 20.5% increase over last year and continues a steady pattern of year-over-year budget increases. The funding will go toward improving the security of its information networks, as well as researching and developing new virtual tools. It will also support the Pentagon’s “enduring cyberspace missions,” further empower Cyber Command head General Paul Nakasone, and fund the addition of five new Cyber Mission Force teams. Navy Vice Adm. Sara Joyner, the director of force structure, resources and assessment at the Pentagon stated, “With this budget request, we will continue to modernize network defense capabilities to build a secure and resilient cyber architecture.” The increased digital vulnerability of critical infrastructure as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made cyber a top priority for the US government.