Page 68 - Cyber Defense eMagazine - December 2017

According to The White House, “[Trump] promised to strengthen America’s
cybersecurity capabilities and secure America from cyber threats. The release of this
Charter and adherence to the rigor it demands follows through on that commitment to
the American people.”

It’s worth repeating that the VEP isn’t new. The policies of the Trump administration with
regards to vulnerability disclosure are no different from the previous administration. VEP
is just a rehash of previous policies and councils that were in place to appease public
perception on government-curated vulnerabilities—it does nothing to strengthen
cybersecurity.

The fact of the matter is, the White House’s move to release the VEP validates what the
industry has been concerned about all along. There are a number of loop holes and a
lack of industry oversight, both of which are troublesome. Let’s start with the lack of
industry oversight. In its press release, the White House claims that the VEP represents
the interests of “commercial equities; and international partnership equities.” However,

68 Cyber Defense eMagazine – December 2017 Edition
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