Trump slated to sign cybersecurity executive order on 31 January - report

President Donald Trump is slated to sign an executive order on cybersecurity on Tuesday (31 January), which would essentially make it the first action taken by the new administration to address what the US president has previously deemed a priority, according to a report.

Unspecified sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, the cybersecurity order will reportedly review the cyber capabilities and offensive capabilities of various government agencies. The order will also mean an audit for several federal agencies, to assess their cyber abilities and provide recommendations on how best to improve protections for critical infrastructure.

The order is also expected to review the government's current efforts in attracting and hiring skilled cybersecurity personnel, Reuters reported. The order will also allegedly seek ways by which to provide strong incentives to the private sector to adopt advanced security measures, to protect against potential cyberattacks.

It is still unclear as to how the current administration hopes to attract and retain cybersecurity personnel given the current EPA hiring freeze. Former officials and experts have expressed concerns over the difficulty in hiring skilled IT personnel, especially given the pay gap between the private and the government sector.

It is also still unclear if the cybersecurity order is slated to provide government agencies with even more legal power and resources than before, which may in turn raise more concerns among privacy activists. Trump's recent travel ban saw those affected being asked to unlock their phones and provide social media history to officials at the airport.