Think tank perspective
The R Street Institute’s Haimon Wong reflected on key aspects of the Trump EO, including elements on software security.
Wong said, “Trump’s new cyber EO is a welcome move that signals an effort by the administration to treat cybersecurity as a core strategic and national security priority. In particular, it’s grounded in the recognition that cybersecurity compliance and spending don’t automatically translate to improved resilience — a sentiment that really resonates with me, especially as someone who has worked on the frontlines of cyber incident response in a critical infrastructure sector.”
“The EO also acknowledges the impact emerging technologies will continue to have on the evolving threat landscape and directs the federal government to prepare and adapt accordingly,” Wong said.
Wong is a resident fellow on the cybersecurity and emerging threats team at R Street.
On software security, Wong said, “As with any EO or regulatory action, whether improvements are made will depend heavily on the success of the implementation that follows. That said, the EO’s direction to work with NIST to establish an industry consortium at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is a prudent move — it leverages existing hubs of expertise and stakeholders already active in this space.”
Wong said, “I also appreciated the EO’s clear call for the NCD, in coordination with agencies like the DNI, OSTP, OMB, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of Homeland Security, to incorporate AI software vulnerabilities and compromises into ongoing vulnerability management, incident response, and threat intelligence processes. Given where we are with AI advancement, this is a timely and important step toward strengthening both coordination and national security.”
