President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at strengthening U.S. cybersecurity defenses.
The action comes as Colonial Pipeline continues to grapple with a crippling ransomware attack, which has led to widespread fuel shortages along the East Coast and prompted an all-of-government response.
Last year, software from the IT company SolarWinds was breached, allowing hackers to gain access to communications and data in several government agencies.
US will create cyber review board and impose software standards for government agencies following a spate of digital intrusions that have rattled the United States.
Other rules imposed by the order mandate the use of multi-factor authentication – effectively a second failsafe password – and the use of encryption both for stored data and communications.
