back to article Trump hits control-Z on cybersecurity order: No reason given for delay

US President Donald Trump unexpectedly cancelled the signing of a new executive order on cybersecurity Tuesday, following a day of briefings by the White House on its contents. The order – a draft of which was leaked and we reviewed last week – was due to be signed at 3:15pm Eastern time, but was cancelled at the last minute …

  1. Mark 85
    WTF?

    Is it possible...

    .... that instead of the "Ready, Fire, Aim" that was done on the immigration ban (temporary) that they've learned to hone the EO first before signing?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it possible...

      Yeah... Right...

      I think it is more likely that I am to be the tooth fairy and gain special powers to fly around the world undetected.

      Probably distracted by a nice birdie (either the golf or the pageant variety).

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Is it possible...

      "Ready, Fire, Aim"

      That seems over elaborate. Wasn't it just "Fire" - and then "Fire again" for the AG?

    3. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Re: Is it possible...

      ".... that instead of the "Ready, Fire, Aim" that was done on the immigration ban (temporary) that they've learned to hone the EO first before signing?"

      Were you aware that this was all pretty much lined up under Obama and Trump just implemented it?

      1. Robert Helpmann??
        Childcatcher

        Re: Is it possible...

        Were you aware that this was all pretty much lined up under Obama and Trump just implemented it?

        Are you implying that Trump is not capable of making his own decisions or pushing his own policies? Are you claiming that he does not vet the documents he signs? He has stated over and over that he intends to undo everything he can from the previous administration and has gone all in on this approach. Whatever he does is on him, for good, bad or otherwise. He is the President of the United States of America. If he wants all the glory, he must also accept the blame - all of it.

      2. HausWolf

        Re: Is it possible...

        Were you aware that this was all pretty much lined up under Obama and Trump just implemented it?

        Actually, that is an alternative fact. You may use alternative facts, but you don't get alternative truth.

      3. KjetilS

        Re: Is it possible...

        This has been debunked so many times it's not even funny

        1. Sir Runcible Spoon

          Re: Is it possible...

          If I've heard wrong then fine, but it used to be normal practice on these forums to highlight that possibility rather than just jump on someone.

          I've done a bit more research since and I can see why my comment doesn't exactly gel with reality :P but I'm now more concerned that half the world appears to be in 'triggered' mode whenever Trump is mentioned.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So is this leading to the main pipe owners being required to install government-approved security assurance measures, and then the smaller pipe owners, etc ?

    As the man says, they all provide access to government systems...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      That happened under Bush and Clinton in total secrecy.

  3. harmjschoonhoven
    Childcatcher

    Re: hold the heads of federal agencies accountable for managing their cyber risk

    Sites like https://www.cia.gov/kids-page?

    1. alain williams Silver badge

      Re: hold the heads of federal agencies accountable for managing their cyber risk

      Holding the heads of organisations responsible is the right thing to do; this will ensure that enough attention is paid to cyber security. Currently if something goes wrong the blame is placed either on some minion (who did not have the budgeting power do to a proper job) or, preferably, the person who showed that their security was weak (eg Gary Mkinnon or others who have noticed and reported problems).

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: hold the heads of federal agencies accountable for managing their cyber risk

        "Holding the heads of organisations responsible is the right thing to do; this will ensure that enough attention is paid to cyber security. "

        Except that someone probably whispered in his ear that an EO comes fully into effect the moment it is signed. Some of the Heads have just been put in place by him. The EO as originally written would have made his appointees immediately responsible for any pre-existing cock-ups or security weaknesses.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: hold the heads of federal agencies accountable for managing their cyber risk

      Wow, I never knew the CIA had a kids page... But then, why not? Although I'm surprised it includes pictures of CIA operators.

    3. Richard Plinston

      Re: hold the heads of federal agencies accountable for managing their cyber risk

      > Sites like https://www.cia.gov/kids-page?

      Security works both ways, they are requiring that readers have bad security:

      * Required plugins Adobe® Flash Player Adobe® Reader® MS Word Viewer

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Looks fine to me

    https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/read-the-trump-administrations-draft-of-the-executive-order-on-cybersecurity/2306/

    Absolutely nothing alarming. It's just a government-wide computer security audit, focused on military systems that actually do need to be secure, as well as critical civilian infrastructure. There's also a bit about reviewing what the schools are teaching, at all levels, to give the future workforce a friggin' clue.

    Companies have just started doing these exercises in the last few years, and I welcome it. Basically it gives execs/finance/legal a reason to pay for maintenance & cleanup that never got done previously.

    1. WonkoTheSane
      Big Brother

      Re: Looks fine to me

      "Absolutely nothing alarming" - Well, THERE'S your problem!

  5. Your alien overlord - fear me

    WTF?

    RNC was not hacked. As in it was hacked but they didn't get the incriminating emails.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: WTF?

      There were no incriminating emails because they were probably hard to find in a finding a needle in a stack of needles kind of way.

    2. phuzz Silver badge

      Re: WTF?

      Well, we know that no incriminating emails were released, we don't know for sure if there were any, or if they were copied. The FBI says that the RNC was indeed hacked though.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: WTF?

        Everything gets hacked, I don't doubt the RNC did. Apparently they just weren't dumb enough to conduct their conspiracies via email - they did it in the open.

        Remember, RNC != Trump. They went after him harder than the DNC went after Sanders.

  6. Swarthy

    "No explanation given"

    Did Putin say "Bud'te dobry, Comrade, Don't make it too hard for us"?

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