Title page

Contents

Highlights 2

Letter 5

Background 7

Cybersecurity Incidents Continue to Affect Federal and Nonfederal Systems 7

The Office of the National Cyber Director Was Established to Provide Cybersecurity Leadership 9

The White House Released the New National Cybersecurity Strategy and Accompanying Implementation Plan 11

GAO Has Reported on the Importance of National Strategy and Centralized Cybersecurity Leadership 13

The National Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan Fully Addressed Four of the Six Desirable Characteristics 16

The Strategy and Implementation Plan Fully Addressed Four Desirable Characteristics 18

The Strategy and Implementation Plan Partially Addressed Two Desirable Characteristics 22

Conclusions 27

Recommendations for Executive Action 27

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 28

Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and Methodology 33

Appendix II: Comments from the Office of the National Cyber Director 36

Appendix III: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 40

Table 1. National Strategy Characteristics and Definitions Used to Examine the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan 33

Figure 1. Five Pillars and 27 Strategic Objectives of the March 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy 12

Figure 2. Extent to Which the March 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy and July 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan Addressed... 17