Cyberwar at the White House
Bloomberg Businessweek|January 10, 2022
Anne Neuberger and the competition to set Biden’s cybersecurity agenda
By William Turton
Cyberwar at the White House

Anne Neuberger, the Biden administration’s Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, organized a virtual summit on ransomware for Oct. 13, 2021. She invited representatives from about 30 countries and the European Union, but no one from several of the key U.S. agencies handling cybersecurity, including the Department of State, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the newly created Office of the National Cyber Director.

Officials at all three agencies eventually received invitations to attend, but only as observers, and people at State and CISA came away feeling rankled, according to five people familiar with the summit who requested anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive event. The flap reflected mounting tension within the Biden administration as different factions vie for control over a critical policy area—and reinforced the impression that Neuberger, a former star at the National Security Agency (NSA), has developed into a sharp-elbowed power player within the White House. “Anne basically ran the summit like it was a covert operation,” says a former senior U.S. cybersecurity official familiar with the planning, who asked not to be named because sensitive details are involved.

The stakes of bureaucratic tussling are high. Over the last year gangs of criminal hackers, some with ties to the Russian government, have carried out a series of disruptive attacks on U.S. businesses and critical infrastructure, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little inclination to cooperate in attempts to rein them in. Rising tension with China raises the prospect of cyberconflict with an even more formidable adversary.

This story is from the January 10, 2022 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 10, 2022 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView All
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023