Some moves on the legislation and regulation front too.
In a significant move, Donald Trump, on the first day of his presidency, rescinded an executive orderestablished by Joe Biden in 2023 that aimed to set safety guidelines for generative artificial intelligence. This Biden-era directive required developers of large AI models to share safety test results with the U.S. government and tasked federal agencies with evaluating potential risks associated with AI technologies. Trump’s actions included the cancellation of seventy-eight executive orders from the previous administration, including the one focused on safe AI development.
Before the transition in power, The Federal Communications Commission adopted new cybersecurity rules in response to the recent Salt Typhoon hacks, which were linked to the Chinese government. The new regulations require telecom carriers to secure their networks against hacks, with possible fines for non-compliance. The rules took effect immediately and include a proposal for annual reporting on cybersecurity risks.
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP, is proposing to narrow the requirements for cloud service providers regarding authorizations necessary to handle federal information. A draft policy posted on GitHub suggests that only those services directly impacting the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of federal information should fall within FedRAMP’s regulatory scope. This change aims to alleviate the burden on providers by allowing them to focus their security efforts on significant risks rather than ancillary services that pose minimal threats. Key updates include the necessity for cloud service providers to regularly update their boundary documentation and ensure external services comply with federal standards. Additionally, systems not encompassed by the FedRAMP boundary must not access federal information without proper authorization. Independent assessors will evaluate compliance and connections to ensure data security.
Why do we care?
Regulations will be in flux here for a period of time. These are all updates to be aware of, and I’ll likely comment more as thing settle down. I’m watching for things that are done, not just said.