Biden's cyber plan: Tech firms take center stage

The White House has announced a new national cybersecurity strategy that assigns responsibility to tech companies. It also includes governmental involvement to disrupt hackers and cyberattacks.

According to the new cybersecurity strategy, Biden asks American tech companies to be more careful against cyberattacks and hackers and take responsibility for protecting their systems. The strategy includes goals rather than immediate lawful actions. Biden wrote, "The steps we take and choices we make today will determine the direction of our world for decades to come. This is particularly true as we develop and enforce rules and norms for conduct in cyberspace."

There are four important points that the new strategy aims for. Rebalancing the responsibility for cybersecurity to be more effective, fair, and impartial. Everyone, including civil society, state, local tribal, and territorial governments, must work in partnership with industry. The second important point is about striking a careful balance between protecting from immediate threats and proactively planning for and investing in a resilient future that will realign incentives to favor long-term investments.

"In this decisive decade, the United States will reimagine cyberspace as a tool to achieve our goals in a way that reflects our values: economic security and prosperity; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; trust in our democracy and democratic institutions; and an equitable and diverse society. To realize this vision, we must make fundamental shifts in how the United States allocates roles, responsibilities, and resources in cyberspace," says the announcement.

The tension between the US and China has grown lately, especially after the spy balloon and TikTok incidents. White House says, "the governments of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other autocratic states with revisionist intent are aggressively using advanced cyber capabilities to pursue objectives that run counter to our interests and broadly accepted international norms." White House aims to disrupt the networks of criminals behind dangerous cyberattacks worldwide while working alongside nation-state allies and non-governmental partners.

The administration will also work with Congress to prevent software companies from shipping products without meeting reasonable security measures. Congress will also help provide the funds and equipment required to guarantee the application of efficient cybersecurity procedures. The strategy fact sheet itself is 35 pages, and it includes many details on the matters that are mentioned above. You can check the whole document here.

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