CISA director says cybersecurity is solvable

TLDR:

• Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, believes that cybersecurity is not an impossible problem.
• She emphasizes the importance of the secure by design initiative in elevating organizations’ ability to repel or mitigate attacks.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, remains optimistic about the future of cybersecurity despite the escalating cyberattacks and disruptions plaguing the industry. She believes that progress has been made in strengthening connections with businesses and international partners, with more CEOs and boards treating cyber risk as a core business function. The secure by design initiative, which shifts the responsibility for security from customers to vendors, is seen as a key strategy in the fight against malicious activity. Easterly emphasizes the importance of building secure software from the outset to create a sustainable approach to cybersecurity. Despite the major attacks and challenges faced in 2024, Easterly is hopeful that the tide will turn as federal agencies and international partners work together to address the root of the problem by prodding technology vendors to prioritize security over speed to market features. By focusing on vendor responsibility and secure by design principles, Easterly believes that the cybersecurity industry can continue to make progress in mitigating threats and protecting organizations from cyberattacks.