US to Lean on Partnerships in New Cybersecurity Policy

The US will focus on establishing strategic partnerships in its efforts to defend critical infrastructure against cyberattacks, according to State Department officials. This approach is laid out in a new cyberspace and digital policy strategy that is being unveiled at this week’s RSA Conference in San Francisco.

Specific details of the partnership-focused strategy have not yet been revealed, but recent efforts in this direction may offer hints of what’s to come. As Nextgov/FCW reports, the State Department has established a service meant to push US businesses into international markets, which could be tied to escalating efforts to push for cybersecurity investments.

Also notable is the US government’s $25 million investment in Costa Rica’s cybersecurity infrastructure after that country was hit by a serious ransomware attack in 2022. Further diplomatic investments may be on the table as the US seeks to add more diplomatic partners to its overarching cyber effort.

AI will also be a key focus area in the State Department’s forthcoming strategy. The technology is seen as having the potential to further fuel the inappropriate use of spyware and surveillance tech and to help authoritarian regimes solidify control over their populations, though it could also play a beneficial role in pursuing efforts tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, including the development of ‘smart cities’ and other sophisticated infrastructure.

The State Department’s planned cyber strategy will arrive shortly after the White House’s nomination of Michael Sulmeyer as the Pentagon’s first-ever Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy last month. And it illustrates the government’s intensifying focus on cybersecurity. Last month saw the introduction of a bipartisan bill in the Senate, dubbed the “Future of AI Innovation Act”, that is meant to promote more collaboration between the federal government and the private sector on AI tech, and to boost funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology as it seeks to set AI-related standards.

Source:: Nextgov/FCW

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May 7, 2024 – by Alex Perala