In her first public remarks since becoming Biden's deputy natsec adviser for cyber, Anne Neuberger tells a federal advisory board that one of the admin's priorities will be "to build back better from the SolarWinds incident with modernized defenses in cyberspace."
"President Biden has immediately shown leadership with saying we've got to get a handle on the SolarWinds incident," Neuberger says.
Neuberger spoke during the opening of a National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee meeting.
Neuberger says the Biden admin is developing a new National Cyber Strategy that will incorporate several NSTAC recommendations, including "promoting software and supply chain assurance" and creating a "whole-of-nation" approach to emerging technology challenges.
Neuberger on SolarWinds: "To improve our defenses...we've got to move beyond mere information sharing as a strategy, and we need to work towards measurable outcomes and implementing ways to reduce the risk of something like this happening again.”
Neuberger noted the recent Florida water treatment plant hack and said, "Watch this space for more of an explicit focus on control systems cybersecurity from the administration."
The Biden administration will "redouble our efforts at international engagement" to confront cyber challenges like AI and 5G, Neuberger said. "If we're going to tackle these kinds of issues, we've got to do so with our allies and partners abroad."
The administration is “not naive about the contest that's going on in cyberspace today and has been for some time," Neuberger said. "This is really an issue that plays out below the level of armed conflict, but that's not to minimize it in the slightest."
Acting CISA Director Brandon Wales spoke after Neuberger & said new DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been "extremely engaged in the work of this agency and in particular our efforts to work with the private sector."
Half of the witnesses (@C_C_Krebs and former Principal Deputy DNI Sue Gordon) were pushed out by Trump.
One theme from hearing so far: interest in making CISA the civilian fed govt's network defender. Not just helping, but actually supervising improvements to agencies' networks.
One suggestion made: let agencies offload accountability to CISA in exchange for giving up authority.
Another notable moment: @C_C_Krebs noted how little $ CISA had for IR and for CI operator engagement and said his "biggest regret" as director was inability to "plow additional resources" Into CI community engagement.
$800m of CISA's $1.2b cyber budget went to CDM and EINSTEIN.
.@EACgov commissioners are meeting now to vote on whether to adopt a major overhaul of federal voting system guidelines, which includes many new security, privacy, and accessibility provisions. eac.gov/sites/default/…
@EACgov “VVSG 2.0 is a major step forward to ensure the next generation of voting equipment is more secure and accessible and ensures a better voting experience for all Americans," says Chairman @benhovland.
@EACgov@benhovland Hovland: “Election security has been a major topic and focus during these efforts, and I'm proud that the VVSG 2.0 includes provisions to ensure that we will have more paper ballots and built-in support for election officials to conduct more efficient post-election audits.”
As Trump's second impeachment trial begins with a video montage of the right-wing terrorist attack that he incited, I'm thinking of my fellow journalists who were caught in the middle of the attack, along with the besieged lawmakers and staff. Many are reliving intense trauma.
Rep. Jamie Raskin is doing some next-level receipt-bringing right now to illustrate that the Founders never intended to prohibit impeaching a former president.
This is objectively true. Even many conservative legal analysts have come forward to confirm that the trial is valid.
The wireless ban allows networking hardware in a voting system as long as it's disabled.
Supporters say vendors are finding it increasingly hard to find equipment w/o networking components.
Opponents say disabling wireless thru software is a faulty half-measure.
Critics of the compromise point to the AVS WINVote, which VA decertified after it was discovered that turning off wireless in software left the hardware active and vulnerable to exploitation.
.@PressSec just started her first White House press briefing.
"Rebuilding trust with the American people will be central to our focus in the press office and in the White House every single day."
@PressSec Psaki to reporters: "We have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people."
Psaki on SolarWinds: "We reserve the right to respond at a time and in a manner of our choosing to any cyberattack. But our team is...just getting on the ground today, just getting onto their computers, so I don't have anything...to preview for you at this point in time."