Cracking Code Politics: Trump Revamps Cybersecurity Regulations Defined by Obama, Biden

In a decisive move with reverberations in the tech world, ex-President Donald Trump has put his stamp on cybersecurity policies, recalibrating regulations previously set in the era of Obama and Biden. The executive order, signed by Trump, aims at revising and retracting certain elements of his Democratic predecessors’ cybersecurity rules.

In terms of AI, Trump has eradicated the need for testing the defence of energy infrastructure using AI, directing investment towards identifying and managing vulnerabilities. The White House’s recalibration of AI strategy has been described as draught to ‘censorship’s’ wind, a sentiment shared by allies in Silicon Valley. Additionally, the new order has removed the need for federal contractors to substantiate the security level of their software, terming such demands as ‘unproven and burdensome accounting processes.’

Further tracing the past, Trump’s executive order also abrogates Obama’s policies on sanctions for cyberattacks on the US. The White House clarifies that sanctions are now only applicable to ‘foreign malicious actors,’ preventing misuse against domestic adversaries and excluding ’election-related activities’. This cybersecurity shakeup is serving both as a testament to shifting digital landscapes and a gauge of political dynamics in an interconnected world.