President Joe Biden and senior officials of the state will meet with business sector leaders on Aug. 25 to discuss ways to improve cybersecurity, says Reuters. At this time, it is not yet known which CEOs from the business sector will attend the event.
According to a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, members of the national security team and government officials would meet with executives from major companies to "discuss how we can work together to collectively improve the nation's cybersecurity," He continued, "Today more than ever, cybersecurity is an economic security and national security imperative, and both the federal government and the private sector play a critical role,"
The announcement of the meeting comes in the midst of high-profile ransomware attacks and the Biden administration's efforts to protect critical infrastructure sectors such as pipelines from cyberattacks.
Authorities in the U.S. are urging pipeline operators to establish cybersecurity safeguards as soon as possible
In a statement released Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security urged owners and operators of key pipelines that transport natural gas and toxic liquids to quickly implement cybersecurity procedures. So far, more than 145 of the 255 priority electric companies have adopted cybersecurity technology in a pilot program inaugurated in April that focuses on industrial control, and that number is growing, the spokesman said.
Earlier this year, a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline in the southeastern United States forced the Department of Homeland Security to issue a safety directive. It was the department's second security directive since May when a massive cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline. The attack caused the pipeline operator to shut down much of its network for several days. The incident left thousands of gas stations in the Southeast without fuel.
The Biden administration continues to promote next month's high-level summit to talk to private companies about how to improve cybersecurity, even for small businesses.