Task force unveils cyber recommendations for the next president

The victor of the 2024 presidential election must resolve conflicting cybersecurity regulations, better deter cyberattacks, address the cyber workforce shortage, develop plans with the private sector on critical infrastructure protection and review how to keep the economy going in the event of major hacks, a task force of cyber experts said in a report released Tuesday.

Those were the “immediate priorities” in a longer list of recommendations from the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure at Auburn University, and the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0, the successor to the congressionally established, influential panel of the same name.

The 40-member task force released the report — entitled “Securing America’s Digital Future: A Bipartisan Cybersecurity Roadmap for the Next Administration” — less than two weeks before Election Day, with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump running neck-and-neck in polls, and with both sides having gotten a late start on their transition into the White House should they win.

“The incoming administration has a unique opportunity — and a solemn responsibility — to chart a new course in our nation’s cybersecurity journey,” the report says. “This is not just about defending against threats; it’s about positioning the United States to maintain the lead in the growing global digital economy, fostering innovation, and preserving the values that define us as a nation, recognizing that cybersecurity now impacts every aspect of American life — from our economy and national security to our daily personal interactions and democratic processes.”

Beyond the immediate priorities, the report also recommends:

• Strengthening the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and improving coordination with state, local, tribal and territorial governments.
• Developing an offensive cyber strategy.
• Establishing security standards for operational technology and information technology systems in each sector.
• Giving more authority to the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to be the focal point of cyber diplomacy work.
• Creating a national K-12 cybersecurity curriculum and expanding programs that award scholarships in exchange for a tenure of government service.
• Increasing the budgets of agencies that have responsibility for safeguarding critical infrastructure sectors.

Because the incoming administration won’t be able to do all of that without help from Congress, the report also recommends that lawmakers collaborate in a bipartisan basis with the next president, and consider reestablishing an Office of Technology Assessment or similar office  to help them with technical expertise.

“With the release of this important report, we are offering the next administration a set of sound policy recommendations to further improve national security in the face of growing cybersecurity threats,” said Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute.