The Knowns and Unknowns of Trump's Cyber Plan

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the nation’s 45th president Jan 20 with cybersecurity looming larger than it has for any of his predecessors—and with many unknowns about how he’ll tackle the issue. Here’s a rundown of what we know and what we don’t.

‘Review on hacking’: Trump has promised a “major review on hacking” within his first 90 days in office, declaring, “we have no defense” and “we’re run by people that don’t know what they’re doing.”
The Giuliani Factor: The day after that press conference, Trump announced former New York City Mayor and Trump campaign supporter Rudy Giuliani would advise him on cybersecurity and help convene a rotating panel of private-sector leaders to discuss the issue. It’s unclear, however, what role that private-sector group will play in the 90-day review.
Who’s on First?: It’s also unclear if Trump will seek to rejigger the current governmental structure for cyber responsibilities and cyber incident response.
An Energized Cabinet but Few Details: Trump’s cabinet nominees have pledged to make cybersecurity a priority if confirmed, though they’ve made no hard promises and none have extensive backgrounds in the field.
An Attentive Congress: Whatever moves Trump and the executive branch make on cybersecurity, it’s clear Congress will be paying close attention and the battle over Russian sanctions will only be the starting line.