DHS says National Cyber Strategy will enhance efforts to combat cybercrimes

President Donald Trump launched the National Cyber Strategy last week, the first “fully articulated” cyber strategy since 2003.

The strategy calls for integrating cyber into the four pillars of the National Security Strategy. Specifically, the strategy is designed to defend the homeland by protecting networks, systems, functions, and data; promote American prosperity by nurturing a secure, thriving digital economy and fostering strong domestic innovation; and preserve peace and security by strengthening the ability of the United States — in concert with allies and partners — to deter. It can also, if necessary, punish those who use cyber tools for malicious purposes; and expand American influence abroad to extend the key tenets of an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet.

“The Trump administration has taken bold steps to strengthen our security and prosperity in cyberspace in the face of growing threats and competition. The critical infrastructure that Americans rely on is threatened every day by nation-states, cybercriminals and hackers seeking to wreak havoc, disrupt commerce, and even undermine our democratic institutions. Today’s National Cyber Strategy – the first in fifteen years – strengthens the government’s commitment to work in partnership with industry to combat those threats and secure our critical infrastructure,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said.

Nielsen said the National Cyber Strategy, along with the DHS Cybersecurity Strategy, will guide the department in securing federal networks and information systems, managing risk to the nation’s critical infrastructure, and combatting cybercrime.

“With respect to securing federal networks, for example, we have used our authorities to ensure agencies are updating and patching systems, strengthening their email security, and removing Kaspersky antivirus products from their systems,” Nielsen said. “To strengthen critical infrastructure security and resilience, DHS works across government and industry to share timely and actionable information as well as provide training and incident response support. Working with the private sector, the department’s newly launched National Risk Management Center is working collaboratively to break down silos, identify and prioritize national critical functions, provide a more holistic picture of the risk environment within and across sectors, and develop joint solutions to manage risk.”

She added that the strategy identifies several steps to enhance DGS’s ability to fight cybercrime.

“Transnational criminal groups are employing increasingly sophisticated digital tools and techniques to enable their illegal activities online, and the strategy calls for DHS and the broader law enforcement community to continue to develop new and more effective legal tools to investigate and prosecute these criminal actors. It also notes the need for electronic surveillance and computer crime laws to be updated to keep pace with the rapidly evolving environment,” Nielsen said.