How Will Agencies Zero-Trust Strategies Come into Focus?
President Joe Bidens May 12 executive order on cybersecurity mandates that agencies move to adopt a zero-trust architecture for cybersecurity, and federal IT and cybersecurity officials say they see a real momentum behind the shift. However, they caution, it will take time, money and intense focus to make that reality. The executive order requires that by July 11, agency heads develop a plan to implement a zero-trust architecture, incorporating as appropriate the migration steps that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has laid out. Agency heads need to describe the steps already completed to move to zero trust, identify activities that will have the most immediate security impact and include a schedule to implement them. Matt Hartman, deputy executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said in late June that the order, while focused on short-term objectives, will also lay the groundwork for long-term strategy shifts, including on zero trust. Speaking at the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Councils Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Forum on June 30, he said agencies should be able to make meaningful progress on implementing zero trust over the next three years. The administration fully recognizes that many of the core issues that are being addressed will only be solved through years  literally years of focus and continued investment, he said, according to Federal News Network. Thats my sense, that as we hit the end of the 90-day EO timeline, we will have many enduring plans with additional milestones that the White House, OMB, CISA and others will continue driving for the next several years, for the duration of this administration.