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In the wake of a cyberattack earlier this year against payment processor Change Healthcare that disrupted operations at thousands of hospitals, pharmacies, and other facilities, the Biden administration announced a series of efforts to bolster the cybersecurity of the healthcare sector. The administration secured commitments from Microsoft and Google to provide free or discounted cybersecurity services to rural hospitals. The Department of Health and Human Services is investing in research to automate cybersecurity for healthcare facilities. And the White House is developing long-overdue minimum cybersecurity standards in coordination with major hospital groups.
We must stop him. pic.twitter.com/Y4NbdfpCVq
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 2, 2024
On the international stage, the Department of Energy announced that eight major multinational manufacturers of industrial control system technology signed onto new, voluntary supply chain cybersecurity principles. The State Department’s Bureau of Cybersecurity and Digital Policy (CDP) is working with partner countries and private companies to implement the administration’s international cybersecurity strategy. This comes as House appropriators corrected a glaring omission from the president’s annual budget, which failed to request funding for State’s cyber assistance fund. CDP uses this fund to quickly help allies and partners respond to cyberattacks.
Back at home, the Treasury and Commerce departments sanctioned the leadership of Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky and banned the sale of its products in the United States. This is the culmination of a multi-year effort to mitigate risks posed by the company’s cooperation with Russian military and intelligence units.
Finally, the Federal Trade Commission recommended a civil lawsuit against TikTok for alleged violations of children’s privacy rights.
By RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery and Annie Fixler
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