The result is a framework that focuses narrowly on cybersecurity and national security concerns while avoiding the broader governance, safety and oversight provisions that characterized Biden’s 2023 AI executive order.
Hardening federal and critical infrastructure systems
A significant portion of the order is devoted to strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks and critical infrastructure systems.
Within 30 days, the Committee on National Security Systems, an intergovernmental body that establishes cybersecurity policies, directives, and standards for National Security Systems (NSS), must prioritize the cyber defense of national security systems, while the Department of War, the administration’s renamed Department of Defense, is directed to prioritize the protection of its own information systems. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) must also issue directives and guidance designed to strengthen civilian federal networks and accelerate the adoption of AI-enabled defensive technologies.