Statement from CISA Acting Director Wales on Executive Order to Improve the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Protect Federal Networks

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, President Biden signed an executive order to improve the nation’s cybersecurity and protect federal government networks.  Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Acting Director Brandon Wales released the following statement:

“President Biden’s executive order is an important step forward in bolstering our nation’s cybersecurity.  As last week’s ransomware attack against the Colonial Pipeline and recent intrusions impacting federal agencies demonstrate, our nation faces constant cyber threats from nation states and criminal groups alike."

“As the nation’s lead agency for protecting the federal civilian government and critical infrastructure against cybersecurity threats, CISA serves a central role in implementing this executive order.  This executive order will bolster our efforts to secure the federal government’s networks, including by enabling greater visibility into cybersecurity threats, advancing incident response capabilities, and driving improvements in security practices for key information technology used by federal agencies.  And because the federal government must lead by example, the executive order will catalyze progress in adopting leading security practices like zero-trust architectures and secure cloud environments."

“The cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing, and this executive order reflects the need for a sustained commitment and urgent progress.  We are now moving forward with this same commitment and urgency to implement the President’s executive order to defend against the threats of today and secure against the risks of tomorrow.”

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