Trump to face major cybersecurity challenges.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin

As top U.S. intelligence officers state that Russia engaged in a major cyber campaign to influence the 2016 election, experts are mulling over how President Donald Trump will tackle cybersecurity issues during his administration.

During his campaign, Trump said cyber matters would be an immediate and top priority for his administration.

Trump plans to order an assessment of all U.S. cyber defenses and vulnerabilities by a review team made up of individuals from the military, law enforcement and private sector, he said on his campaign website.

"The cyber review team will provide specific recommendations for safeguarding different entities with the best defense technologies tailored to the likely threats," he said.

Trump also plans to beef up the nation's offensive cyber capabilities to mitigate attacks from state and non-state actors and wants to "enhance" U.S. Cyber Command.

In December, Trump appointed Thomas Bossert as his administration's assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, which will have a heavy focus on cybersecurity.

In a statement, Bossert said the administration must focus on drafting a cyber doctrine that "reflects the wisdom of free markets, private competition and the important but limited role of government in establishing and enforcing the rule of law, honoring the rights of personal property, the benefits of free and fair trade, and the fundamental principles of liberty."

This attention on cybersecurity comes at a time of unprecedented growth in network intrusions and espionage.

During a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee in January, Adm. Michael Rogers, commander of Cybercom and director of the National Security Agency, said the capabilities of many major nation-states are growing.

"I can't think of a single significant actor out there who is either decreasing their level of investment, getting worse in their trade craft or capability, or in any way backing away from significant investments in cyber," he added.

More than 30 countries are developing offensive cyber attack capabilities, according to a joint statement from Rogers, Director of the Office of National Intelligence James Clapper and Marcel Lettre II, the under secretary of defense for intelligence.

"Iran and North Korea continue to improve their capabilities to launch disruptive or destructive cyber attacks to support their political objectives," Clapper said.

Russia is now a near-peer competitor, Rogers added.

The...