What is Executive Order 14058?

Executive Order 14058 is a mandate issued by the President of the United States on May 12, 2021, titled "Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity." The order outlines a series of measures aimed at improving the security of federal government networks and infrastructure, as well as protecting critical infrastructure in the private sector.

The instruction sets forth several detailed requirements for federal agencies, including the adoption of multi-factor authentication and encryption for data at rest and in transit, the development of a plan to implement a Zero Trust Architecture, and the implementation of incident response and logging capabilities. The order also requires federal agencies to share threat information with each other and with private sector partners, and to develop and publish plans for cyber incident response.

In addition to the requirements for federal agencies, the order also includes several provisions aimed at improving cybersecurity in the private sector. This includes the development of baseline security standards for critical infrastructure, increased transparency and reporting requirements for software vendors, and the establishment of a Cybersecurity Safety Review Board to review and assess significant cyber incidents. The order also calls for the creation of a voluntary Cybersecurity Information Sharing Program to encourage private sector participation in cybersecurity information sharing.