Breaking Down the 2025 Cybersecurity Executive Order

As President Biden left office, one of his last acts introduced the 2025 Cybersecurity Executive Order, an ambitious roadmap to strengthen national defenses against evolving and sophisticated cyber threats. This EO leaned more towards government systems but will have ripple effects that could reshape how the private sector approaches cybersecurity.

But what does the EO do? And why should private organizations care? Let’s break it down.

Easy Explanation of the 2025 Cybersecurity EO

Think of this EO as a to-do list for the federal government to boost its cybersecurity programs, with four big priorities:

1. Secure Software Supply Chains: The government is cracking down on software vendors, requiring them to prove that their products were built securely. Vendors must show “evidence” (like digital receipts) that their software follows best practices.some text
   • Example: The SolarWinds supply chain breach showed us how one vulnerability in third-party software compromised dozens of organizations.
2. Improved Cloud Security: Federal agencies must follow strict guidelines for configuring cloud systems to avoid leaving the “backdoor unlocked” for hackers. Misconfigurations in cloud systems remain one of the easiest ways for attackers to gain entry. The EO’s emphasis on strict baselines for federal agencies signals businesses to adopt similar approaches.
3. Stronger Identity Protection: Agencies will deploy modern, phishing-resistant authentication (like WebAuthn) to make it harder for attackers to steal credentials. This isn’t just for government agencies. Businesses adopting modern solutions like WebAuthn can prevent credential-based attacks common in hybrid work environments.
4. Greater Threat Visibility: Federal systems will share data more effectively with CISA (the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), allowing the government to identify and stop large-scale cyberattacks faster.

Although these priorities target federal agencies, they set a standard that private organizations will likely follow, particularly in industries working closely with government systems.

Why the Private Sector Should Pay Attention

Even though the EO targets government systems, its principles will influence private organizations:

1. Raising Standards for Vendors
   • Vendors selling to the government must adopt secure practices, setting a precedent for the private sector. If your vendors don’t comply, you could inherit their risks.
2. Supply Chain Security
   • The EO emphasizes auditing supply chains. Organizations must ensure their partners and contractors follow secure practices to avoid becoming the weak link.
3. Cloud Misconfigurations and Identity
   • Stricter baselines for cloud configurations and phishing-resistant authentication could become standard expectations for businesses across all industries.‍

The Role of AI in the EO

AI holds incredible promise for cybersecurity, finding and prioritizing risks faster and automating complex tasks like threat detection and mitigation. The EO’s push to deploy AI shows its potential to close gaps faster than humans.

However, AI is also becoming a target. Adversaries can exploit weaknesses in AI systems through data poisoning, adversarial attacks, or manipulation of models. With the cancellation of Biden’s separate AI risk EO, enterprises must take the lead in setting their AI testing and validation standards. This highlights the need for private organizations to independently ensure the security of AI systems. Without these protections, AI tools could inadvertently expand attack surfaces instead of reducing them, making thorough validation and oversight critical.  Security leaders should prioritize working closely with vendors to review their AI models, demand transparent validation reports, and conduct internal testing to ensure these systems are secure and reliable. 

AI is a force multiplier, but it requires thoughtful integration and continuous oversight to maximize its benefits while minimizing risks.

What the 2025 Cybersecurity EO Means for Security Teams

The 2025 Cybersecurity Executive Order offers a strong framework to address the most pressing cybersecurity challenges, from fragmented defenses to evolving threats. It emphasizes key principles such as raising vendor standards, securing cloud configurations, and leveraging AI thoughtfully, that security leaders can adopt today, regardless of shifting policies or leadership.

Execution will always be a challenge. Security leaders can’t afford to wait for policies to catch up; the threats are too immediate, and the stakes are too high. To stay ahead, focus on what you can control:

• Audit Vendors: Insist on secure-by-design principles and third-party audits to ensure supply chain integrity.
• Secure Cloud Configurations: Follow stricter baselines to eliminate vulnerabilities caused by misconfigurations.
• Adopt AI Thoughtfully: Validate and monitor AI tools to prevent introducing new vulnerabilities.
• Unify Visibility: Break down silos between tools to improve situational awareness and respond faster to threats.

While no policy is perfect, the EO sets a tone for proactive, adaptive defense. The focus must remain on building resilience, breaking silos, and evolving defenses to keep pace with attackers. After all, cybersecurity is a technical problem, but it’s also a strategic one too.

Curious how these strategies can apply to your organization? Contact Tuskira today to explore how unified visibility and preemptive defense can transform your security approach.