By Joe Ariganello

The Biden-Harris Administration has released the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan (NCSIP), outlining its commitment to improving cybersecurity in America. The plan focuses on two primary shifts: allocating more responsibility for mitigating cyber risk to capable entities in the public and private sectors and increasing incentives for long-term investments in cybersecurity.

The NCSIP includes over 65 federal initiatives across five pillars to increase cybersecurity investment, assign federal agencies to specific initiatives, and establish timelines. Eighteen federal departments and agencies have been assigned these responsibilities with the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI taking on more responsibility than others. In addition, ONCD and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will oversee these efforts, each issuing future funding proposals such as the Administration Cybersecurity Priorities for the FY 2025 Budget.

The plan highlights the Biden Administration’s commitment to defending against cyber threats and willingness to collaborate with stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, international partners, Congress, and state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments. The Administration recognizes the importance of working together and seeks input to align cybersecurity regulations.

This plan is a significant step in pursuing national cyber security protection as it clarifies how to execute it by establishing detailed timelines for each tasked agency responsible for completion. One important thing to note is that this plan doesn’t include any cybersecurity funding but instead serves as a roadmap for implementation going forward.

The NCSIP focuses on five pillars:

1. Defending Critical Infrastructure: The plan includes updating the National Cyber Incident Response Plan to ensure coordinated action during cyber incidents.

2. Disrupting and Dismantling Threat Actors: Efforts will be made to combat ransomware and other cybercrimes through the Joint Ransomware Task Force and disruption operations against the ransomware ecosystem.

3. Shaping Market Forces and Driving Security and Resilience: The plan emphasizes increasing software transparency through a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and driving key cybersecurity standards.

4. Investing in a Resilient Future: The plan aims to drive key cybersecurity standards and enhance U.S. federal agency participation in international cybersecurity standardization.

5. Forging International Partnerships to Pursue Shared Goals: The Department of State will publish an International Cyberspace and Digital Policy Strategy to promote collaboration with partners and allies.

The NCSIP is a living document that will be updated annually. It reflects the Administration’s commitment to a more resilient, equitable, and defensible cyberspace and its efforts to protect American infrastructure, clean energy sector, and technology and manufacturing base.

The Importance of Taking a Proactive Approach to Cybersecurity

The Biden administration has focused relentlessly on improving the United States’ cyber defenses, building a comprehensive approach to “lock our digital doors” and take aggressive action to strengthen and safeguard our nation’s cybersecurity. The administration has released the National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure the full benefits of a safe and secure digital ecosystem for all Americans. The strategy calls for two fundamental shifts in how the United States allocates cybersecurity roles, responsibilities, and resources. The first shift is to prioritize cybersecurity as a national security issue. The second shift is to focus on securing the digital ecosystem rather than just individual components.

The administration has also taken several actions to foster a “defensible, resilient ecosystem,” including:

• Imposing minimum security standards for critical infrastructure.
• Shifting the responsibility for maintaining the security of computer systems away from consumers and small businesses onto larger software makers.
• Advocating tech regulation.

How MixMode Can Help

The national cybersecurity strategy highlights the need for federal government agencies to invest in advanced security.

Traditional security solutions often fail to make sense of the vast amounts of data they collect and struggle to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape.

The MixMode Platform offers real-time threat detection and response capabilities to enhance security for federal government agencies and the private sector. MixMode’s patented self-learning generative AI Platform was built from the dynamical system’s branch of mathematics and identifies patterns and trends without predefined rules or training. MixMode’s AI model adapts itself to the specific dynamics of an individual network rather than relying on the more rigid ML models typically found in other cybersecurity solutions.

The MixMode Platform goes beyond defending the perimeter by providing comprehensive visibility and analytics across network traffic, API logs, private cloud, and identity data to break down silos and stay one step ahead of evolving threats.

The MixMode Platform dramatically reduces cost and risk by up-leveling existing investments and eliminating the need for multiple disparate toolsets. Furthermore, The Platform helps increase efficiencies by reducing false positives and automating manual tasks.

The National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan outlines the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to improving cybersecurity in America. The plan includes a roadmap of initiatives led by federal agencies, focusing on critical areas such as defending infrastructure, disrupting threat actors, shaping market forces, investing in resilience, and forging international partnerships. The plan emphasizes collaboration and transparency, with the Office of the National Cyber Director coordinating activities and providing regular updates on implementation progress. This plan demonstrates the Administration’s dedication to a more secure and resilient cyberspace for all Americans.

Reach out to learn more about how MixMode can help implement this plan and strengthen your security defenses.