Current:Home > FinanceBiden to create cybersecurity standards for nation’s ports as concerns grow over vulnerabilities -Ascend Wealth Education
Biden to create cybersecurity standards for nation’s ports as concerns grow over vulnerabilities
View
Date:2025-04-15 19:13:52
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! (1)
Related
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Missouri woman's conviction for a murder her lawyers say a police officer committed overturned after 43 years
- Scooter Braun Announces Retirement From Artist Management After 23 Years
- Bryson DeChambeau wins another U.S. Open with a clutch finish to deny Rory McIlroy
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky recap: Caitlin Clark wins showdown with Angel Reese
- Police identify Michigan splash pad shooter but there’s still no word on a motive
- 'We want to bully teams': How Philadelphia Phillies became the National League's best
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Comforting the condemned: Inside the execution chamber with reverend focused on humanity
Ranking
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Juneteenth Hack brings Black artists together with augmented-reality tech
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, June 16, 2024
- Key moments at the Tonys: Jay-Z and Hillary Clinton in the house, strides for women and a late upset
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- University of Michigan didn’t assess if Israel-Hamas war protests made environment hostile, feds say
- Rep. Mike Turner says Speaker Johnson will assert leadership if any improper behavior by new Intelligence Committee members
- Pet owners face dilemma after Nationwide drops 100,000 insurance policies
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
Army lieutenant colonel says Lewiston shooter had ‘low threat’ profile upon leaving hospital
Biden raises $30 million at Hollywood fundraiser featuring Obama, campaign says
Buy two, get one half off? How 'spaving' discounts can derail your finances
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Northeast and Midwest prepare for dangerously hot temperatures and heat dome
Eriksen scores in Denmark’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024, 3 years after his onfield collapse
Spoilers: Why that 'House of the Dragon' murder went too far