First, there was the strategy. Now, there\u2019s a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House unveiled its \u201cto-do\u201d list for addressing cyber weaknesses<\/a> last week, taking initiatives laid out in the March National Cybersecurity Strategy and now charging 18 federal agencies with tasks to be completed in the coming months and years to ensure the U.S. can ward off digital threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis plan details more than 65 high-impact federal initiatives, from protecting American jobs by combating cybercrimes to building a skilled cyber workforce equipped to excel in our increasingly digital economy,\u201d the White House said on July 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan is sweeping, touching on several challenges that have hamstrung cyber security at the federal level. To combat them, the government will shape a workforce and education strategy aimed at bolstering cybersecurity talent, a multi-year plan to address aging technology and enforceable legislation to prosecute cybercrime. Industry leaders who commented on the plan applauded government for laying out several years worth of accountability, not just one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe know it\u2019s a massive effort, it\u2019s going to take all hands,\u201d said Joel Krooswyk, federal chief technology officer at GitLab, in an interview. \u201cI think that is the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the last two months alone, widespread cyber attacks<\/a> propelled the looming threat to the forefront. But for years, government watchdogs have been hounding federal agencies to update susceptible legacy technology and fill cyber workforce shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\t