Last week, in a decisive move during the final days of his administration, President Biden signed and released his last cybersecurity executive order, Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity.  This order marks a significant effort to address the evolving threat landscape, particularly in the face of rising challenges posed by foreign adversaries like the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Drawing on lessons learned from some of the most significant cyber breaches during Biden’s tenure, such as from the Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon campaigns, the order’s main goal is to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity posture and better protect critical infrastructure, systems, and data. 

While the intent is commendable, a lingering question remains: will Trump enforce this, or will it remain nothing more than words on paper? As of now, the outcome remains uncertain.

On his first day in office yesterday, President Trump issued a series of executive orders that rolled back many of Biden’s directives. Remarkably, however, Biden’s cybersecurity order was left untouched. Nonetheless, Trump did impose a “regulatory freeze” across the government, halting the finalization of new rules until they are reviewed and approved by a presidential appointee. While the implications of this freeze on the Biden cybersecurity order are unclear, it's possible that, with the shift in priorities under the new administration, the order and other cybersecurity policies could be repealed or significantly scaled back in the months to come.

So, you may be wondering what’s actually in Biden’s cyber EO? Luckily, my colleague, Luke O’Grady wrote a detailed summary of the entire EO here. For the purposes of this blog post, however, we won’t delve into every detail, but we’ll cover a few key highlights, specifically related to the provisions on artificial intelligence (AI) and vulnerability management. 

Section 3: Improving the Cybersecurity of Federal Systems 

One of the key provisions of Biden’s cybersecurity order calls for federal agencies to take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity. Instead of just reacting to cyber breaches after they happen, the order “mandates that federal agencies routinely hunt for and identify novel cyber threats and vulnerabilities within their systems.” This "threat hunting" approach is all about identifying vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.

Section 6: Promoting Security with and in AI

AI is becoming an indispensable tool in the fight against cyber threats, and Biden’s order pushes for expanded use of AI-driven defense strategies. This section of the order outlines three critical focus areas: 

1. AI for cyber defense
2. AI-driven cybersecurity research
3. AI software vulnerability management

First, the order directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to launch a pilot program exploring how AI can protect critical infrastructure in the energy sector. At the same time, the Department of Defense (DoD) is tasked with developing advanced AI models to strengthen the nation’s overall cyber defense. By integrating AI, the government hopes to speed up threat detection and response, making it harder for attackers to breach key systems.

Second, the order also highlights the importance of AI-driven cybersecurity research. It directs agencies like NIST, the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prioritize funding for programs that create large-scale data sets for cyber defense research. These agencies are also instructed to focus on areas such as human-AI interaction for cyber analysis and the security of AI coding assistance tools.

Finally, to address vulnerabilities within AI systems, the order requires the DoD, Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to integrate AI software vulnerability management into their existing processes for vulnerability coordination. These efforts aim to not only strengthen cybersecurity with AI but also ensure the security of AI systems themselves.

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President Biden should be commended for issuing this cybersecurity executive order, with critical provisions such as the ones outlined above. As the Trump administration progresses, we hope that these requirements are preserved to ensure continued progress in the nation’s ability to respond to cyberattacks. 

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