Trump Promises to Make Cybersecurity 'Immediate and Top Priority'

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump promised Monday he will make cybersecurity an “immediate and top priority for my administration” if he wins the November election. “To truly make America safe, we truly have to make cybersecurity a major priority for both the government and the private sector,” Trump said during a Retired American Warriors event in Herndon, Virginia. He promised a “thorough review of our cyber defenses and weaknesses, including all vital infrastructure” soon after he takes office. The cyber review team “will proceed with the most sensitive systems first, but ultimately all systems will be analyzed and made as secure as modern technology permits,” Trump said. “The review will include providing exact recommendations for the best combination of defensive technologies tailored to specific agencies. This will include the various methods of internal monitoring, attack and penetration, investigation of suspected hackers or rogue employees, and identity protection for government employees.” Trump said he will direct DOJ to create joint task forces throughout the U.S. to coordinate local, state, federal and international cybercrime responses “to crush this still-developing area of crime.” Trump said he will direct his secretary of defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff to make recommendations for “strengthening and augmenting” U.S. Cyber Command. He proposed giving the U.S. “the unquestioned capacity to launch crippling cyber counterattacks,” as “America’s dominance in this arena must be unquestioned.” The U.S. “must develop the ability -- no matter how difficult -- to track down and incapacitate” non-state actors that launch cyberattacks, Trump said. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said he believed Trump didn’t “follow through” enough on cybersecurity issues during last week’s debate with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (see 1609270056). Clinton’s campaign vowed in September to take a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity issues that would build on a White House Cybersecurity National Action Plan (see 1602090068 and 1609060060). Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., praised Trump’s cybersecurity plan in a statement on the Trump campaign’s website. The plan “is exactly what is required for these dangerous times -- bold, serious, and innovative,” Hoekstra said: Trump “understands that we must tackle the cyber threat comprehensively, and that includes being willing to take the offensive. And it means government and the private sector working together.”