Biden speech pledges international cooperation on cyber

NOTE: This story first appeared on FCW.com.

President Joe Biden on Friday called for the United States to work with European allies to advance international norms in cyberspace.

"We must shape the rules that will govern the advance of technology and the norms of behavior in cyberspace, artificial intelligence, biotechnology so that they are used to lift people, not used to pin them down," Biden said in a Feb. 19 speech to the 2021 Munich Security Conference, which was held virtually.

Biden also pledged multilateral commitment on several other issues such confronting Russia's attempts to subvert democracy, addressing the coronavirus and climate change.

In addition to prioritizing cybersecurity, Biden has also made central to his administration the desire to renew alliances among European nations who feel scorned after four years of the Trump administration's "America First" policies.

Biden's comments come as his administration continues to deal with the fallout from a wide-ranging hack involving the SolarWinds Orion IT management software. The president has said in speeches he will prioritize cybersecurity but has not yet detailed actions he might take in response to suspected Russian intelligence agents launching a years-long operation to enter and remain undetected on the federal government's networks.

Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, has said the White House is planning executive actions in the near future in response to the hack.