Trump's cyber EO kills Biden-era digital ID policies

Politico

5 hours ago

With help from John Sakellariadis and Maggie Miller
Driving the day
— A new cyber directive from the Trump administration takes aim at a Biden-era order that would've strengthened the country's digital identity infrastructure. Experts say this could leave the U.S. more vulnerable to increased fraud and cybercrime.
HAPPY MONDAY, and welcome to MORNING CYBERSECURITY! I hope everybody had a very nice weekend! I'm glad I was able to soak up the sun ahead of the next few days of rainy weather.
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Today's Agenda
The Federal Communications Bar Association holds a virtual Privacy and Consumer Protection symposium on 'The Shifting Privacy and Consumer Protection Landscape.' Noon.
The House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee holds a markup of the FY2026 Homeland Security bill. 6 p.m.
Happening This Week
On Tuesday — The House Intelligence Committee's Central Intelligence Agency Subcommittee holds a hearing on CIA's fiscal year 2026. 10 a.m.
On Thursday — The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a markup vote on nominations, including Sean Cairncross to be White House national cyber director and Sean Plankey to be director of CISA. 10 a.m.
At the White House
NEW CYBER EO — A new cyber executive order signed by the Trump administration on Friday targets 'problematic elements' of two cybersecurity directives by previous administrations, including the removal of a Biden-era order focused on digital identity measures to combat fraud and cybercrime.
According to a fact sheet released along with the order, the order would undo portions of previous cyber directives — one signed by former President Barack Obama in 2015 and another signed by former President Joe Biden just before he left office in January.
The action includes proposed changes to Biden's executive order on digital identity documents, which experts say is a step in the wrong direction. The U.S. needs to strengthen its online identity security efforts to prevent fraud and cyberattacks by state-sponsored hacking groups, according to Jeremy Grant, a former NIST cyber official and coordinator at Better Identity Coalition.
'Chinese state-sponsored attackers have stolen billions through identity-centric attacks,' he added.
— Out with the old: Biden's January executive order established a pathway for the federal government to issue digital identification documents, including mobile driver's licenses, to access public benefits. It also detailed how state and federal governments could implement those changes.
Grant told MC that the digital ID components were viewed by the cybersecurity sector as 'common-sense, modest measures' that would improve the security of identity systems that are used to protect much of Americans' information in cyberspace. 'There was some optimism … that when the EO came out, it was at least the initial kernel of a strategy to address deficiencies in digital identity infrastructure.'
President Donald Trump's Friday night order eliminated the digital ID elements from Biden's directive, calling it a 'mandate for U.S. government-issued digital IDs for illegal aliens that would have facilitated entitlement fraud and other abuse.'
But Biden's order did not mandate that the government issue digital identity documents, Grant clarified, despite Trump's claims.
— National security concerns: Trump's order revoking the digital ID framework also doesn't offer any replacement measures, which experts say could leave Americans more vulnerable.
There have been increased reports of state-sponsored hackers using stolen identities and deepfakes to gain access to critical networks — including North Korean operatives using spoofed identities to infiltrate U.S. tech companies and funnel money to the regime's nuclear program.
'When you look every year at why bad things happen in cyberspace and how, some sort of compromise to identity is at the root of almost every major breach, and is really fueling a lot of cybercrime that we see today,' Grant said. He added that without clear guidelines in place for a secure system to develop and issue digital IDs, similar instances of fraud against U.S. critical infrastructure and the private sector are likely to continue.
Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told your host that the digital ID elements of Trump's order are focused on immigration when it should be looking at Chinese companies 'rapidly taking over this industry globally.'
China is 'actually providing digital ID services for U.S. state and local governments and law enforcement,' he added.
— What comes next: Trump's pick for White House national cyber director, Sean Cairncross, is scheduled to have a confirmation vote in the Senate on Thursday.
In a hearing last week, Cairncross testified that his office would take the lead on cyber policy in the U.S., and he promised to surround himself with 'smart people' to enact effective cyber policy. Experts say it's likely that the discussion on digital identification will be revisited once Cairncross is confirmed.
'I think the national cyber director will lead a broad review of how to better secure U.S. national critical infrastructure and the issue of improving public-private collaboration to improve security,' Montgomery told your host. 'Digital ID services will inevitably be part of that.'
On The Hill
FIRST IN MC: AI HEARING ON THE DOCKET — The House Homeland Security Committee's cyber panel will hold a hearing this week on efforts to implement artificial intelligence to strengthen the nation's cybersecurity defenses.
The hearing, scheduled for Thursday, will include witnesses from Microsoft, as well as cybersecurity firms Trellix, Cranium and Securin.
'Whether it is machine learning, generative AI, or now agentic AI — AI is evolving rapidly and must be developed with secure by design principles in mind so we can harness its full potential,' subcommittee Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) said in a statement.
— What's next: The cyber sector has long warned of hackers using AI to enhance cybercrime. Most recently, a cybercriminal used AI-generated deepfakes to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
'While the advancement of artificial intelligence could provide new tools to America's adversaries and cybercriminals, AI can also be a tool to enhance our nation's detection and defense against threats to our networks,' Garbarino said in a statement.
VOTES INCOMING — In addition to Cairncross, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a markup this week for a confirmation vote on Trump's other top cyber pick, Sean Plankey, to lead CISA.
Plankey, a first-term Trump administration cyber alum, was also supposed to testify at the hearing but was removed from the schedule over missing paperwork.
Both nominees have received support from government officials and the private sector. Plankey is expected to glide through his nomination hearing and vote, but lawmakers told your host last week that the committee should not vote on Plankey's nomination before he has a chance to testify in an official hearing — which may not happen.
The International Scene
'TREASURY' OF SECRETS — Iran's intelligence minister claimed on Sunday, without any evidence, that Tehran has gathered an 'important treasury' of information on Israel's nuclear program.
Per the Associated Press, Esmail Khatib said members of Iran's Intelligence Ministry obtained 'strategic, operational and scientific intelligence' on the Israeli government, and that it was 'transferred into the country with God's help.'
Khatib's remarks come after Iranian state television claimed on Saturday, also without any evidence, that Iranian intelligence officials had seized sensitive documents.
Israel has not yet acknowledged any Iranian operation, though Israelis have been arrested for allegedly spying for Iran during Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
People on the Move
Hilco Global has hired former Rep. Patrick Murphy and Alexander Niejelow, former director for cybersecurity policy on Obama's National Security Council.
Quick Bytes
WECHAT — Russian counterintelligence is examining data from a popular Chinese social media app to track people who might be in contact with Chinese spies, Aaron Krolik and Paul Sonne report for The New York Times.
MAKING IT WORSE? — Misha Glenny writes for the Financial Times that AI progress could be turbocharging cybercrime.
INVITED IN — The Department of Government Efficiency can have unimpeded access to the sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans, the Supreme Court ruled Friday, writes POLITICO's Josh Gerstein.
Chat soon.
Stay in touch with the whole team: Rosie Perper ([e-mail]); John Sakellariadis ([e-mail]); Maggie Miller ([e-mail]), and Dana Nickel ([e-mail]).