Biden administration sets cyber priorities for fed agencies in '24

The Biden administration late last week issued guidance that laid out the cybersecurity funding priorities that federal agencies should adhere to for the upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget cycle.

The July 22 memorandum — signed by Office of Management and Budget Director Sholanda Young and National Cyber Director Chris Inglis — is an effort to motivate organizations to move closer to the benchmarks set by a sweeping executive order President Joe Biden signed in response to the SolarWinds espionage campaign, as well as other cyber-related strategies the White House has released.

Civilian agencies “will make investments in three cyber investment priority areas: Improving the Defense and Resilience of Government Networks; Deepening Cross-Sector Collaboration in Defense of Critical Infrastructure; and Strengthening the Foundations of Our Digitally-Enabled Future,” according to the memo.

For example, defending critical infrastructure against digital threats "will require an unprecedented level of collaboration between the public and private sectors. Agencies will build this collaboration in FY 2024 by prioritizing their sector risk management agency (SRMA) responsibilities and ensuring adequate information sharing through designated cybersecurity centers.”

The priorities “should be addressed within the FY 2024 Budget guidance levels provided by OMB. OMB and the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) will jointly review agency responses to these priorities, identify potential gaps, and potential solutions to those gaps,” the document states.

They will then “provide feedback to agencies on whether the priorities are adequately addressed and consistent with the overall cybersecurity strategy and policy — aiding agencies’ multiyear planning through the regular budget process,” it adds.

Read the full memo below: