President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to combat the malicious use of digital spy tools that target U.S. personnel and civil society around the world. According to a senior administration official, at least 50 U.S. government employees stationed in ten countries were targeted with commercial hacking tools, also known as spyware.
The order emphasizes the growing threat posed by offensive cyber vendors, prompting the White House to enact rules to prevent spying. Makers of such hacking tools could be barred from selling to U.S. agencies if they are found to be doing business with foreign governments that have a poor human rights track record, based on analysis by the U.S. State Department and others.
The executive order applies to all departments and agencies of the United States federal government, including those engaged in law enforcement, defense, or intelligence activities, and includes spyware tools provided by foreign or domestic commercial entities.
It prohibits federal departments and agencies from using commercial spyware tools that pose significant counterintelligence or security risks to the U.S. government or pose significant risks of improper use by a foreign government or foreign person, including targeting Americans or enabling human rights violations.
The decision follows a series of media and cybersecurity reports in recent years concerning spyware sales to governments around the world, including in the Middle East and Africa, where it was reportedly used against dissidents, human rights defenders and journalists.
The executive order will also serve as a cornerstone U.S. initiative during the second Summit for Democracy on March 29-30, 2023, which he will co-host with the leaders of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Zambia.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
