On June 6, Trump signed an executive order that reversed or revised several of former President Joe Biden’s cybersecurity policies.
The White House vaguely cited an insertion of “problematic and distracting issues into cybersecurity policies” to justify the executive order.
Following years of major cyberattacks linked to insecure software, the Biden administration sought to use federal procurement power to improve the software industry’s practices. That effort began with Biden’s 2021 cyber order and gained strength in 2024, and then Biden officials tried to add teeth to the initiative before leaving office in January.
Cybersecurity Dive
Now that Trump has reversed this policy, the software industry, especially as it relates to the federal government and contractors, is newly vulnerable.
Trump also gutted a Biden provision that would have forced the “Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to verify vendors’ attestations, required the Office of the National Cyber Director [(ONCD)] to publish the results of those reviews and encouraged ONCD to refer companies whose attestations fail a review to the Justice Department ‘for action as appropriate.'”
Artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing were not spared as well. Trump removed a Pentagon requirement to utilize advanced AI models for cyber defense and a broader initiative to use AI to protect “critical infrastructure in the energy sector.” Regarding quantum computing, he largely mitigated Biden’s order to adopt post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
Trump also eliminated instructions for the departments of State and Commerce to encourage key foreign allies and overseas industries to adopt… [the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s] [(NIST)] PQC algorithms.
Cybersecurity Dive
Trump also effectively promoted fraud and phishing with his cybersecurity executive order.
The EO dropped many other provisions of Biden’s January directive, including one requiring agencies to start testing phishing-resistant authentication technologies, one requiring NIST to advise other agencies on internet routing security and one requiring agencies to use strong email encryption. Trump also cut language directing the Office of Management and Budget to advise agencies on addressing risks related to IT vendor concentration.
In his January order, Biden ordered agencies to explore and encourage the use of digital identity documents to prevent fraud, including in public benefits programs. Trump eliminated those initiatives, calling them “inappropriate.”
Cybersecurity Dive
Though Trump has maintained several of Biden’s cybersecurity reforms, American and potentially allied cyber defenses are now crippled. American consumers are now more exposed to fraud, phishing, and other predatory digital behavior.
