WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order and released a new national cyber strategy aimed at combating cybercrime, strengthening U.S. digital defenses and expanding the government’s ability to disrupt foreign cyber threats.
The strategy, titled “President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America,” outlines a broad plan to maintain U.S. dominance in cyberspace while modernizing federal networks and protecting critical infrastructure. It is built around six policy pillars that will guide federal cybersecurity actions and resources going forward, according to the White House.
‘Critical That We Work Together’
“Fraud and scams are a serious concern for consumers and credit unions. Americans reported losing more than $12 billion to cyber-enabled fraud last year alone, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing families and financial institutions alike,” Scott Sullivan, president and CEO of America’s Credit Unions, said in a statement. “The President’s new Executive Order reinforces how critical it is that we work together across industries, agencies, and departments to combat fraud and cybercrime, including the transnational scam networks targeting Americans. Credit unions are relentless in our advocacy to advance policy solutions that protect people and hold bad actors accountable. We’ve been engaged with the government, notably in congressional testimony this past week and participation in the Government Accountability Office’s new report on cybersecurity, to offer credit unions’ perspective and recommendations for solutions on these issues. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration, Congress, and regulators to strengthen our defenses and give Americans greater confidence in their financial security.”
What the Order Calls For
The accompanying executive order directs federal agencies to prioritize efforts against cyber-enabled fraud, scams and other criminal operations targeting Americans. It instructs the Justice Department to pursue prosecutions of major cybercrime schemes and calls for identifying and dismantling international criminal networks responsible for scams and cyberattacks.
Administration officials said the strategy also emphasizes strengthening deterrence against foreign cyber adversaries, promoting innovation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and post-quantum cryptography, and reducing regulatory burdens on private companies to help them respond more quickly to cyber threats.
Cooperation Encouraged
The plan encourages closer cooperation with the private sector and international partners while allowing the United States to use a full range of tools—including diplomatic, law-enforcement and potential offensive cyber operations—to counter malicious actors.
The White House said additional implementation plans are expected as federal agencies translate the strategy’s pillars into specific policy actions.
CU Rep Testifies
As the CU Daily earlier reported here, Kate McKune, general counsel at Park Community Credit Union in Kentucky testified on on the issue of fraud last week before the House on behalf of America’s Credit Unions.
