News of cyberattacks are no longer the exclusive purview of industry publications. They’re not even confined to the more niche tech publications like The Verge or Wired any more. No, cybersecurity (and the inevitable failures when they occur) is so integral to modern life, that when almost any breach occurs, it’s international news across medium and outlet. Even companies that aren’t particularly high profile can make international news if the breach is insidious enough (or has the potential to spread to other companies like it). Companies like Leverage have been banging this drum for years now — cybersecurity isn’t some pesky thing that you install some anti-virus software to deal with, then set it and forget it.

It’s critical to operational functionality and cohesion; your business simply cannot function at a high level for an extended period of time if you’re not prioritizing cybersecurity.

But, the framework within which we fight the onslaught of cyberattacks has been, shall we say, lacking in this country. It’s a hodgepodge of public and private standards, implemented by a patchwork of stakeholders, with no real vision or comprehensive leadership.

The Biden Administration seems to be taking the first meaningful step to ameliorating that situation.

‘Whole-of-nation’ approach to cybersecurity

According to reporting from Bloomberg, President Biden was set to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Google, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and the energy firm Southern Company were also invited, and Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning was also set to attend, Bloomberg reports.

These are certainly some of the heaviest hitters when it comes to the backbone of our digital infrastructure.

According to the fact sheet released by the White House, “on May 12, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order that modernizes Federal Government defenses and improves the security of technology. To secure our critical infrastructure, this spring the Biden Administration launched a 100-day initiative to improve cybersecurity across the electric sector with others to follow. On July 28, the President issued a National Security Memorandum establishing voluntary cybersecurity goals that clearly outline our expectations for owners and operators of critical infrastructure. The Administration has also engaged with the private sector on the importance of prioritizing cybersecurity as a central part of their efforts to maintain business continuity.”

What does all of this mean? Put simply, the federal government has finally woken up to the endemic danger cyberattacks pose to the health and operation of this country. As such, President Biden took a very small step toward coordinating with public and private leaders to start envisioning a holistic framework to approach cybersecurity.

What does this mean for you, though?

While it’s all well and good that the Feds and some of the largest corporations on earth are starting to collaborate on cybersecurity initiatives, it’s important to you and your business for a far more fundamental reason — the Feds are almost always the last to know on things like this. When it comes to digital infrastructure, the Federal government is always, always behind the private sector when it comes to innovation and early adoption. Now, we’re well past the time of early adoption here, but what it does signal is that you cannot afford to ignore or de-prioritize cybersecurity any more. It’s too critical (and often, too vulnerable) to put off until tomorrow.

That’s where we come in. We’re experts in designing, implementing and servicing cybersecurity frameworks for clients across sectors, industries and business sizes. We keep an eye on your technology stack so you can focus on what actually matters to you — running your business. If you’d like to know how we can help you stay safe, give us a call — we’d love to chat.