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Biden Administration Orders Sweeping Directives to Federal Agencies and Contractors to Improve U.S. Cybersecurity

Client Alert | 1 min read | 05.13.21

The Biden Administration issued a detailed Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity yesterday aimed at strengthening the Federal Government’s cybersecurity defense posture.  The EO calls for the creation of new cybersecurity standards, as well as updates to FAR- and DFARS-based contract requirements, affecting both information and operational technology.  Much of the EO addresses implementation throughout the Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) Agencies and the Department of Defense (DoD).  The EO encompasses a broad array of cybersecurity initiatives for fast track implementation in partnership with the private sector, notably including:

  • Requiring mandatory breach reporting to the Federal Government, applicable to both contractors and cloud service providers (CSPs) accessing Federal information systems;
  • Implementing mandatory multifactor authentication, encryption and logging requirements for Federal information systems, applicable to contractors operating networks on behalf of the Federal Government;
  • Creating a software supply chain security standard, including a consumer software labeling program, focused on secure software development practices that will impact Federal software acquisitions;
  • Modernizing security practices including Zero Trust Architecture and accelerated movement to secure cloud services through FedRAMP;
  • Establishing a Cyber Safety Review Board, modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will provide the Federal Government greater authorities to investigate significant cyber incidents occurring on contractor and CSP networks; and
  • Standardizing a Federal Government Playbook for incident response activities, which will create a new standard of care for private industry and government contractors. 

The EO directs the Federal Government to prioritize these initiatives over the next year, with some actions to be implemented as soon as within the next 30 days.  Contractors should anticipate a myriad of proposed regulatory changes over the next 60 – 90 days as agencies begin implementing these wide-ranging cyber initiatives.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.25.26

Twin Executive Orders Seek to Spur Quantum Leap in Technology and Cybersecurity

On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders, “Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks” (Quantum Security EO) and “Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation” (Quantum Innovation EO), marking the most significant federal action on quantum technology since the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act of 2022, which directed agencies to harden their information systems against quantum-enabled hacking. The orders seek to speed the development of quantum computers, which are advanced processors that can calculate multiple possibilities simultaneously and thus solve problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. At the same time, the orders look to protect against the danger that quantum technology can “break” traditional encryption by easily decoding it. Of particular note for government contractors, the Quantum Security EO directs agencies to update federal acquisition regulations to require contractors by 2031 to adopt information processing standards that resist quantum-enabled codebreaking....

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