Leaked White House documents allegedly reveal Trump set to order 60-day cybersecurity review

A leaked White House document reportedly reveals that President Donald Trump is set to order a 60-day cybersecurity review. The leaked draft of the executive cybersecurity order reveals the Trump administration is looking to probe America's current cyber capabilities and vulnerabilities in efforts to boost the cyber defence capabilities, according to reports.

The draft highlights the US government's persistent stance on the significance of cyberspace as a national resource, a concept that the previous administration also shared, the Washington Post reported. The document notes that the internet is a "vital national resource" and that cyberspace is undergoing "constant, rapid changes as a result of the pace of technological innovation."

The document also states the America's government organisations and critical infrastructure are "vulnerable to attacks from both state and non-state actors" which can lead to "significant costs on the US economy and significantly harm vital national interests", which in turn could see "significant property damage and loss of life."

The document also noted that the government agencies tasked with protecting government networks and critical infrastructure "are not currently organized to act collectively/collaboratively, tasked, or resourced, or provided with legal authority adequate to succeed in their missions."

In comparison to the Obama administration, the Trump administration's stance toward cybersecurity policies appears to be more authoritarian in nature. The draft indicates that likelihood of agencies receiving greater resources and more legal power over networks under the Trump administration is much higher than before.

The document also goes on to detail and define what falls under "national security system" and "critical infrastructure". However, the relatively vague wording does not provide much clarity on whether private networks of the likes of Google, Amazon and others may also be deemed under such classifications.

The draft does however clarify that the cybersecurity review will come with recommendations, to be provided in 60 days. The recommendations will include "the enhanced protection of the most critical civilian Federal Government, public, and private sector infrastructure, other than US national security systems."

The recommendations are also expected to detail whether government agencies are "appropriately organized, tasked, and resourced, and provided with adequate legal authority necessary to fulfill their missions."