Biden orders cybersecurity increases at U.S. ports

The White House on Wednesday said President Joe Biden signed an executive order to bolster cybersecurity at U.S. ports. The executive order also seeks to remove barriers to communication about cyber-related threats between the government and critical infrastructure. It will also help the nation’s ports, maritime system, and supply chains closer to adopting a “zero-trust architecture” cybersecurity model and multi-factor authentication.

Why is there a focus on ports and the maritime system? The White House says U.S. ports sustain roughly $5.4 trillion annually of economic activity and that “America’s prosperity is directly linked to maritime trade.” On Tuesday, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger said that U.S. ports place physical security requirements on ships that enjoy their docks and ought to do the same with cybersecurity requirements when cyber attacks could be even more damaging than storms or other physical threats.

Who will be enforcing this? The White House says the order authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard to require ports and ships to “mitigate cyber conditions.” It also requires ports and vessels to report cyber attacks and related incidents, as well as authorizing the Coast Guard to inspect and control the movements of ships known to pose a cyber threat.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how Congress is seeking to keep Americans safe from harmful uses of artificial intelligence.