White House Issues New Cyber Directives to Defend US Ports

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PUBLISHED Feb 21, 2024UPDATED Feb 22

Photo: Paul Harris/Contributor/Archive Photos via Getty Images

The Facts

Pres. Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new executive order to strengthen cybersecurity at US maritime ports, as well as invest over $20B to toughen the country's port infrastructure.
The executive order gives the US Coast Guard authority to issue basic cybersecurity requirements for transportation vessels and ports, and to move any ships that pose a "known or suspected cyber threat."

The Spin

Pro-China narrative

Accusations of Chinese cyberattacks against the US are baseless. It's the US, not China, that's launching cyberattacks, and to say otherwise is both untrue and irresponsible. Washington must stop smearing the reputations of non-aligned countries under the guise of cyber security.

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Anti-China narrative

Ports are a vital part of the American economy, and any disruption to their functioning could destroy global supply chains. The US security guidelines must adapt to meet the Chinese threat as Beijing-backed hackers have burrowed themselves into much of the US maritime infrastructure.

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Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that China will surpass the US economically, militarily, and scientifically by January 2080, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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