Delay in creating new cybersecurity board prompts concern

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - It's been eight months since President Biden signed an executive order creating the Cyber Safety Review Board to fight major ransomware attacks and digital espionage campaigns, but it still hasn't been created.

It's a key part of Biden's plans, to create a board of experts that would investigate major incidents to see what went wrong and try to prevent the problems from happening again.

But without the board being started, that means critical tasks haven’t been completed, including an investigation of the massive Solarwinds espionage campaign first discovered more than a year ago when Russian hackers stole data from several federal agencies and private companies.

Some supporters of the new board say the delay could hurt national security and comes amid growing concerns of the potential conflict with Russia over Ukraine that could involve nation-state cyberattacks.

Improving cybersecurity and bolstering defenses has been a priority for the Biden Administration, but this is not the first time lawmakers have been unhappy with the pace of progress.

Last year, several lawmakers complained it took the administration too long to name a national cyber director, a new position created by Congress.