Security News > 2021 > May > Biden Signs Order to Beef Up Federal Cyber Defenses
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday meant to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity defenses in response to a series of headline-grabbing hacking incidents that highlight how vulnerable the country's public and private sectors are to high-tech spies and criminals operating from half a world away.
The order will require all federal agencies to use basic cybersecurity measures, like multi-factor authentication, and require new security standards for software makers that contract with the federal government.
"The federal government needs to make bold changes and significant investments in order to defend the vital institutions that underpin the American way of life," Biden said in his executive order.
Biden's executive order was announced shortly after the nation's largest fuel pipeline restarted operations Wednesday, days after it was forced to shut down by a gang of hackers.
Biden's order will also require IT service providers that contract with the federal government to share certain information about cyber breaches, an information-sharing program that officials say will improve the county's cybersecurity as a whole.
The order also establishes a cybersecurity safety review board that's tasked with studying major cyber incidents and coming up with concrete recommendations.