Current:Home > NewsBiden to create cybersecurity standards for nation’s ports as concerns grow over vulnerabilities-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Biden to create cybersecurity standards for nation’s ports as concerns grow over vulnerabilities
View Date:2024-12-23 18:18:32
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order and create a federal rule Wednesday aimed at better securing the nation’s ports from potential cyberattacks.
The administration is outlining a set of cybersecurity regulations that port operators must comply with across the country, not unlike standardized safety regulations that seek to prevent injury or damage to people and infrastructure.
“We want to ensure there are similar requirements for cyber, when a cyberattack can cause just as much if not more damage than a storm or another physical threat,” said Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser at the White House.
Nationwide, ports employ roughly 31 million people and contribute $5.4 trillion to the economy, and could be left vulnerable to a ransomware or other brand of cyber attack, Neuberger said. The standardized set of requirements is designed to help protect against that.
The new requirements, to be published Wednesday, are part of the federal government’s focus on modernizing how critical infrastructure like power grids, ports and pipelines are protected as they are increasingly managed and controlled online, often remotely. There is no set of nationwide standards that govern how operators should protect against potential attacks online.
The threat continues to grow. Hostile activity in cyberspace — from spying to the planting of malware to infect and disrupt a country’s infrastructure — has become a hallmark of modern geopolitical rivalry.
For example, in 2021, the operator of the nation’s largest fuel pipeline had to temporarily halt operations after it fell victim to a ransomware attack in which hackers hold a victim’s data or device hostage in exchange for money. The company, Colonial Pipeline, paid $4.4 million to a Russia-based hacker group, though Justice Department officials later recovered much of the money.
Ports, too, are vulnerable. In Australia last year, a cyber incident forced one of the country’s largest port operators to suspend operations for three days.
In the U.S., roughly 80% of the giant cranes used to lift and haul cargo off ships onto U.S. docks come from China, and are controlled remotely, said Admiral John Vann, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s cyber command. That leaves them vulnerable to attack, he said.
Late last month, U.S. officials said they had disrupted a state-backed Chinese effort to plant malware that could be used to damage civilian infrastructure. Vann said this type of potential attack was a concern as officials pushed for new standards, but they are also worried about the possibility for criminal activity.
The new standards, which will be subject to a public comment period, will be required for any port operator and there will be enforcement actions for failing to comply with the standards, though the officials did not outline them. They require port operators to notify authorities when they have been victimized by a cyberattack. The actions also give the Coast Guard, which regulates the nation’s ports, the ability to respond to cyber attacks.
veryGood! (968)
Related
- The 10 Best Cashmere Sweaters and Tops That Feel Luxuriously Soft and Are *Most Importantly* Affordable
- Kylie Jenner Stuns in New Sam Edelman Campaign: An Exclusive Behind the Scenes Look
- All the Candid 2024 Oscars Moments You Missed on TV
- Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Make Debut as a Couple at Elton John's 2024 Oscars Party
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Russell Wilson to sign with Steelers after release from Broncos becomes official, per reports
- Photo agencies remove latest Princess Kate picture over 'manipulation,' fueling conspiracy
- Why Bad Bunny's 2024 Oscars Look Is So Unexpected
- Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
- US probes complaints that automatic emergency braking comes on for no reason in 2 Honda models
Ranking
- Tennessee suspect in dozens of rapes is convicted of producing images of child sex abuse
- NFL free agency QB rankings 2024: The best available from Kirk Cousins to Joe Flacco
- 3 reasons you probably won't get the maximum Social Security benefit
- Russell Wilson to sign with Steelers after release from Broncos becomes official, per reports
- Statue of the late US Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, is unveiled in his native Alabama
- Jimmy Kimmel calls out Greta Gerwig's Oscars snub, skewers 'Madame Web' in opening monologue
- How a Chinese citizen allegedly absconded with a trove of Google's confidential AI files
- Justin Theroux and Nicole Brydon Bloom Confirm Romance With Vanity Fair Oscar Party Date
Recommendation
-
Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
-
Sen. Bernie Sanders: No more money to Netanyahu's war machine to kill Palestinian children
-
Russell Wilson to sign with Steelers after release from Broncos becomes official, per reports
-
Meg Ryan Stuns in Rare Red Carpet Moment at Vanity Fair 2024 Oscars After-Party
-
Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
-
See Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum and More Stars' Show-Stopping Arrivals at the 2024 Oscars After-Parties
-
Inside a U.S. airdrop mission to rush food into Gaza
-
‘Oppenheimer’ crew keeps it low key, other winners revel at Vanity Fair’s Oscar after-party