The White House Office of the National Cyber Director released its long-awaited national cybersecurity strategy on Friday, outlining a six-pillar framework intended to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity.
The White House said the six pillars detailed in the seven-page document are designed to guide federal cyber policy and resourcing.
“The National Cyber Strategy outlines my priorities for ensuring that America remains unrivaled in cyberspace,” President Donald Trump wrote in a foreword to the strategy document. “It calls for unprecedented coordination across government and the private sector to invest in the best technologies and continue world-class innovation, and to make the most of America’s cyber capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.”
The first pillar focuses on shaping adversary behavior by imposing costs on malicious actors and using the “full suite” of U.S. government tools – including defensive and offensive cyber operations – to disrupt attacks before they reach U.S. networks.
The second pillar calls for “common sense regulation,” aiming to streamline cybersecurity regulations to reduce compliance burdens and give private-sector organizations more flexibility to respond to threats.
The strategy also prioritizes modernizing and securing federal networks, including “by implementing cybersecurity best practices, post-quantum cryptography, zero-trust architecture, and cloud transition.”
Another pillar emphasizes protecting critical infrastructure while reducing reliance on foreign vendors.
“We will galvanize the role of state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities as a complement to – not a substitute for – our national cybersecurity efforts,” the strategy says.
The strategy further calls for maintaining U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The White House also said the federal government will promote the adoption of post-quantum cryptography and secure quantum computing.
Finally, the sixth pillar focuses on building cyber talent and workforce capacity, highlighting the need for stronger pipelines across academia, industry, and government to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
“This strategy makes clear the course President Trump has pursued in cyberspace, and the direction the U.S. government will pursue with increasing impact,” the document reads. “President Trump will continue showing those who harm our interests and attack our values in cyberspace place themselves at risk.”
National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross previewed the strategy and its six pillars last month while speaking at ITI’s “The Intersect” summit in Washington, D.C.