What Is Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order, and What Does It Mean for Businesses?

USA crime and cybersecurity are subjects that should be at the forefront of every business operation right now. The very real threat posed by cybercriminals impacts everyone, from small businesses to government agencies. Therefore, it is crucial to remember no organization is too big or small to become a target. 

The impact of a cyberattack can have lasting effects on businesses in terms of downtime, costs, and loss of reputation, so this is a threat too big to ignore. Following on from recent high-profile cyber attacks that targeted both government agencies and businesses in the United States, President Biden announced a cybersecurity executive order on May 12, 2021.

President Biden’s Executive Order on Cybersecurity

The focus of President Biden’s executive order on cybersecurity is to improve the nation’s cybersecurity and reduce vulnerabilities that leave systems open to attack by cybercriminals. 

As cybercrime has far-reaching consequences throughout society, it ultimately impacts every citizen, which is why the executive order outlines a cohesive approach to improve cybersecurity. The executive order requires the private and public sectors to work in partnership to protect the nation’s digital infrastructure. 

The executive order recognizes that it takes more than simply government action to improve cybersecurity, and instead, a consistent, collaborative approach is required to achieve this.

What Does President Biden’s Executive Order on Cybersecurity Mean for Your Business?

Guidance and improvements in protecting against cybercrime are nothing new. As you have probably heard recommendations previously on ways to improve cybersecurity, it can be tempting to ignore these latest measures. 

But, many of the action points in the executive order have a scheduled timeline to meet, so these are not simply the usual plans for something to happen at some unknown point in the future. This means you will need to act fast to meet these requirements. The main changes put forward in the executive order include the following:

Reducing the Barriers to Sharing Information on the Threats of Cybersecurity.

The effective sharing of information relating to cybersecurity threats is crucial to ensure all incidents are reported and other agencies are aware of the potential danger that is posed. 

If your business provides software or IT systems for the government, you will be required to share any threat information with relevant agencies to ensure awareness of the cybersecurity threat. To comply with the executive order, you will need to make sure you are aware of how to report cybersecurity threats and who you need to report them to. This information will then need to be communicated to your team.

Improving the Security of the Software Supply Chain.

If you supply software to the Federal Government, you will need to be sure you fully understand the new guidelines that have been produced and that your business adheres to them. 

Once you have implemented the actions outlined in the guidelines, you must monitor these to check for any updates. Keeping up with potential guideline changes will ensure you remain compliant and play your part in keeping the nation protected from cybercrime.