Senior
leaders of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) and the Enterprise
Cloud Coalition recently wrote to White House cyber and technology
officials, urging them to "reaffirm the U.S. government's long-standing
policy of technology neutrality." Technology neutrality refers to the notion
that policymakers should rely on market mechanisms, such as merit and
value for the U.S. taxpayer, to determine which technologies achieve
broad adoption.
- The
letter was written by Henry Young, Director of Policy at the BSA, and
Andrew Howell, Executive Director of the Enterprise Cloud Coalition,
and addressed to National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, Deputy National
Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger, and
senior Biden administration adviser Gene Sperling.
- Young
and Howell emphasized the role of public-private partnerships in
bolstering the U.S. government's digital ecosystem, stating that
"neither industry nor government alone can solve an ever-evolving set of
challenges."
- The
Biden administration is planning to issue an executive order on digital
theft, which would contain new measures aimed at preventing and
detecting identity theft associated with obtaining public benefits,
which has become more prevalent in recent years due to COVID-19 relief
programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which have been exploited.
- The
executive order is expected to focus on the government-run identity
management platform Login.gov, which has been scrutinized over its lack
of "technology neutrality" and its hindrance to commercial identity
management solutions.
- Young
asserted, "The U.S. government should not select either a specific
solution developed by industry or one the government develops itself
because it inhibits innovative approaches to cybersecurity."
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