The Trump administration plans to release a six-pillar national cybersecurity strategy in January, with a possible executive order to follow for implementation.
The Trump administration has been circulating a draft national cybersecurity strategy. The document has five pages and organizes priorities into six pillars; cyber offense and deterrence, regulatory alignment for uniformity, cyber workforce development, federal procurement, critical infrastructure protection, and emerging technologies. The strategy addresses topics including cybercrime, China, artificial intelligence, and post-quantum cryptography. According to sources, one considered the document more of a messaging piece, with substantive work expected to follow. The administration may release an executive order after the strategy to implement its provisions.
The Biden administration released a 35-page national cybersecurity strategy in 2023. The new Trump administration strategy is shorter at five pages but covers substantial ground across its six pillars. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross recently previewed elements of the forthcoming strategy at cybersecurity conferences.
At the 2025 Aspen Cyber Summit, National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross explained the strategy's focus: "As a top line matter, it's going to be focused on shaping adversary behavior, introducing costs and consequences into this mix. It is becoming more aggressive every passing day, and as new technology is developed … and AI is folded into this next, it will become more aggressive."
Cairncross further described the strategy's role at the 2025 Meridian Summit stating "It will be setting the posture of the United States in this domain and things that we are driving toward, and we will have follow-on action items that will be in support of that strategy."
National cybersecurity strategies outline government priorities and approaches to protecting digital infrastructure and responding to cyber threats. These documents guide federal agencies, inform private sector partnerships, and signal intentions to adversaries. They address topics like critical infrastructure protection, workforce development, international cooperation, and emerging technologies. Implementation often requires executive orders, regulations, and funding allocations to translate strategic vision into concrete action.
This new strategy's focus on critical infrastructure protection directly impacts healthcare providers, who manage sensitive patient data and essential services. The regulations could change how healthcare organizations navigate cybersecurity compliance. For healthcare, the strategy's emphasis on shaping adversary behavior and introducing costs matters because many attacks target medical facilities specifically due to the nature of their services and the value of health data. The workforce development pillar addresses the cybersecurity talent shortage that healthcare organizations struggle with. As cyber threats grow more with AI integration, healthcare facilities need clear federal guidance and support to protect patient information and maintain continuity of care during attacks.
The January release of this cybersecurity strategy will set the tone for federal cyber policy over the coming years. Organizations in healthcare and other regulated sectors should monitor the regulatory alignment pillar closely, as it may signal changes to compliance requirements. The strategy's take on emerging technologies like AI and post-quantum cryptography indicates these areas will receive increased attention and potentially new security mandates.
Most likely, because federal cybersecurity strategies typically lead to updated technical standards and procurement requirements.
It could indirectly shape updates to federal healthcare security rules if regulatory alignment becomes a priority.
Healthcare systems may eventually need to adopt quantum-resistant encryption as federal guidance evolves.
Yes, since talent shortages in sectors like healthcare often drive new grant and training initiatives.