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Cybersecurity takes a big hit in new Trump executive order

Provisions on secure software, quantum–resistant crypto, and more are scrapped.

Cybersecurity practitioners are voicing concerns over a recent executive order issued by the White House that guts requirements for: securing software the government uses, punishing people who compromise sensitive networks, preparing new encryption schemes that will withstand attacks from quantum computers, and other existing controls. The accompanying White House statement said the change would prevent “misuse against domestic political opponents.” Lifting language that declared Border Gateway Protocol, the primary means for routing traffic on the Internet, is "vulnerable to attack." Also dropped are existing requirements that the Commerce Department, working with NIST, publish guidance on implementing "operationally viable BGP security methods" such as Resource Public Key Infrastructure and creating Route Origin Authorizations for government networks and contracted service providers.

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