Page 91 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Special RSA Conference Annual Edition for 2022

Moving Beyond Budget Battles: The Real

Secret to Improving National Cyber Defenses

By Teddra Burgess, SVP, Public Sector, Tanium

There's been no shortage of criticism around President Biden’s new $773 billion defense budget. That’s
no surprise, as federal budgets always draw attention – and provide ample opportunity for political
posturing and finger-pointing – regardless of the actual figures involved.

Numbers aside, when it comes to America's cyber defense, we should do our best to put partisanship on
the shelf and seek multilateral ways to ensure our cybersecurity is strong and resilient.

Such concern extends far beyond the federal government: Ransomware and other criminal cyberattacks
against targets like K-12 schools, municipalities, universities, and every conceivable private-sector
industry are all on the rise, so we’re not faced solely with nation-state cyber warfare. In fact, criminal
gangs have been waging war on consumer data and personally identifiable information (PII) for some
time now. During the pandemic, threat actors took advantage of our increased vulnerability through global

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