Trump's cyber EO kills Biden-era digital ID policies
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 (rperper@politico.com); John Sakellariadis (jsakellariadis@politico.com); Maggie Miller (mmiller@politico.com), and Dana Nickel (dnickel@politico.com).
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Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
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The Hill
33 minutes ago
- The Hill
ICE raids accelerate, protests spread
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far'
Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far' Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, says he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president (Kevin Dietsch) (Kevin Dietsch/GETTY IMAGESvia AFP) Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair's public falling-out last week. "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far," Musk wrote on his social media platform X, in a message that was received favorably by the White House. Musk's expression of regret came just days after Trump threatened the tech billionaire with "serious consequences" if he sought to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill. Their blistering break-up -- largely carried out on social media before a riveted public since Thursday last week -- was ignited by Musk's harsh criticism of Trump's so-called "big, beautiful" spending bill, which is currently before Congress. ADVERTISEMENT Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk -- one of the Republican Party's biggest financial backers in last year's presidential election -- to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation. "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that," Trump, who also branded Musk "disrespectful," told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be. Trump also said he had "no" desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has "no intention of speaking to him." But after Musk's expression of regret, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was "appreciative," adding that "no efforts" had been made on a threat by Trump to end some of Musk's government contracts. "The president acknowledged the statement that Elon put out this morning, and he is appreciative of it," Leavitt said. ADVERTISEMENT According to the New York Times, Musk's message followed a phone call to Trump late on Monday night. Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susan Wiles had also been working with Musk on how to broker a truce with Trump, the report said. - 'Wish him well' - In his post on Wednesday, Musk did not specify which of his criticisms of Trump had gone "too far." The former allies had seemed to have cut ties amicably about two weeks ago, with Trump giving Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship cracked within days, with Musk describing the spending bill as an "abomination" that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump's second term in office. Trump hit back at Musk's comments in an Oval Office diatribe and from there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned. ADVERTISEMENT Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that cutting billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts to Musk's companies would be the "easiest way" to save the US government money. US media have put the value of the contracts at $18 billion. With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both already appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters "I just wish him well," and Musk responding on X: "Likewise." Trump had spoken to NBC on Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking. bur-arp/aha
