Administration releases national strategy to strengthen cybersecurity

The Biden Administration today released a National Cybersecurity Strategy that seeks to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders to defend critical infrastructure; disrupt and dismantle threat actors; shape market forces to drive security and resilience; invest in a resilient future; and forge international partnerships to pursue shared goals. The Office of the National Cyber Director is coordinating the strategy, which also aims to shift responsibility for cybersecurity from the end user to the owners and operators of data systems, and realign incentives to favor long-term investments in security, resilience and promising new technologies. 
 
“The AHA commends the Biden Administration on this comprehensive National Cybersecurity Strategy, which acknowledges that private sector efforts alone are insufficient to counter the significant cyberthreats we face as a nation,” said John Riggi, AHA’s national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. “The AHA has worked closely with Congress and the Administration, including the FBI, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, and Department of Health and Human Services to underscore the magnitude of the national security threat and public health and safety impact of ransomware attacks on hospitals and health systems. Health care cyberattacks are threat-to-life crimes that disrupt and delay health care delivery, and cybersecurity is a top priority. Since 2020, the AHA has urged the federal government to adopt policies similar to those used in the fight against terrorism – utilizing all elements of national power to disrupt and dismantle foreign-based bad actors. We are pleased that the strategy includes several important ideas such as declaring ransomware attacks as a national security threat; conducting more offensive operations against cyberthreat actors; and implementing software security requirements for software developers. The AHA will continue to work with the hospital field, Congress and the Administration, and other stakeholders to advance and adopt cyber policies that are streamlined, effective and feasible to implement.”