The Biden administration is making a last-ditch effort to bolster U.S. cyber defenses against growing threats from China and Russia, issuing a sweeping cybersecurity executive order just days before leaving office aimed at addressing threats from outer space. to vulnerabilities in consumer electronics.

The sweeping directive is likely to be the last major policy push before the administration hands over the keys to Donald Trump, who heads to the White House next week and inherits a new world of cyberattacks that have inflicted damage on the nation Billions of dollars of damage were caused and huge losses were incurred. Government offices.

“Our goal is to make hacking more costly and difficult for China, Russia, Iran and ransomware criminals and to show that the United States is serious about protecting our businesses and citizens,” a senior administration official told reporters on Wednesday. of."

The order comes in the wake of devastating China-linked cyberattacks, including recent intrusions into the U.S. Treasury Department and telecommunications systems that reportedly compromised incoming President Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Trump. Sri Lanka's correspondence.

Among the most notable provisions are requirements for federal agencies to implement end-to-end encryption for email and video communications, as well as new requirements for artificial intelligence-driven cyber defense systems and quantum computing safeguards.

The order centers on expanding the authority of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa) to hunt for threats in federal networks. The nation's premier cyber agency, formed by Trump in 2018, will gain new authority to certify government contractors' security commitments and coordinate with federal technology officials.

The order stipulates that until 2027, federal agencies can only purchase Internet-connected devices with a "cyber trust mark" - effectively using government procurement power to pressure manufacturers to improve the quality of products such as baby monitors and home security systems. safety standards.

The directive also ventures into vast uncharted territory, requiring enhanced cybersecurity measures for space systems following the targeting of Ukrainian satellite communications during the Russian intrusion.

The timing of the order raises questions about its longevity. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger, who has spearheaded the order over the past few months, will resign on January 17, and the incoming Trump administration's cyber team has yet to be officially named. Trump 1.0 cybersecurity alum Sean Plankey is the top choice to lead the agency, Politico reports.

Trump's transition team did not respond to a request for comment on whether the incoming administration would comply with the directives of the order, which sets 53 deadlines for various agencies ranging from 30 days to three years.

For now, the senior administration official remains optimistic about the order's staying power, viewing it as an emergency response to an escalating threat.

“Making our national infrastructure more defensible and making it easier to sanction and counter cyber actors — both goals are bipartisan,” the senior official said.