White House Releases Cybersecurity Report and Implementation Plan

According to the White House, the report—which is the first of its kind—“assesses the cybersecurity posture of the United States, the effectiveness of national cyber policy and strategy, and the status of the implementation of national cyber policy and strategy by Federal departments and agencies.” The report also describes active and emerging cyber threats—including novel technologies related to national security, economic growth, and “the rule of law.” The report covers 2023 and the period in 2024 preceding the release of the report.

The White House says that the U.S. cybersecurity posture has grown stronger over the past year through advancement toward the vision of a stable and “values-aligned digital ecosystem” laid out in the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy. The report also notes that the Biden administration has started to execute the plan for implementation of the cybersecurity strategy. 

The report is divided into three parts. It first describes the “Strategic Environment” in which U.S. cybersecurity policy is operating, including an examination of adversaries’ capabilities and aims. It then outlines the U.S.’s “Current Efforts” to bolster domestic cybersecurity, which include, among others, promoting software security and addressing risks to the security and privacy of data. And it concludes by laying out a “Future Outlook.”

The cybersecurity strategy implementation plan, according to the White House, provides a roadmap for securing cyberspace through collaborative efforts across the federal government and U.S. society. The White House writes that the plan “leverag[es] tools of national power to protect our national security, public safety, and economic prosperity.” The Office of the National Cyber Director is responsible for leading this effort, while reporting to the president and Congress. 

This second version of the plan—the first of which was released in July 2023—outlines 100 U.S. government initiatives aimed at achieving the goals described in the National Cybersecurity Strategy. The plan maintains the five pillars from the first implementation plan: “Defend Critical Infrastructure,” “Disrupt and Dismantle Threat Actors,” “Shape Market Forces to Drive Security and Resilience,” “Invest in A Resilient Future,” and “Forge International Partnerships to Pursue Shared Goals.” 

The specific initiatives include, among many others, harmonizing cyber regulations, promoting the development of “secure-by-design and secure-by-default technology,” and disrupting ransomware criminals. 

You can read the report here and the implementation plan here, or below.