May 16, 2017

*-- Trump signs order making agency heads 'accountable' for cyberattacks --*

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Thursday to hold federal agency chiefs responsible for cyberattacks on their networks.

The order imposes accountability on agency heads and calls on information technology experts to step up defenses to guard against automated attacks.

"The President will hold heads of executive departments and agencies accountable for managing cybersecurity risk to their enterprises," the order states. "In addition, because risk management decisions made by agency heads can affect the risk to the executive branch as a whole, and to national security, it is also the policy of the United States to manage cybersecurity risk as an executive branch enterprise."

Trump's action Thursday also orders assessment reports for the United States' ability to fend off cyberattacks and deter perpetrators online.

Under the order, the defense secretary and intelligence chief are charged with overseeing the secure management of military and classified networks. The homeland security head will continue to be responsible for protecting national infrastructure.