US State Department sets up cyber bureau amid hacking alarm
- A new special envoy will also be appointed to focus on international cyberspace security, international digital policy and digital freedom
- Hackers have struck numerous US companies this year, including an attack on a major pipeline operator that led to fuel shortages on the East Coast
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday that the State Department will establish a new bureau and envoy to handle cyber policy, revamping amid alarm over rising hacking attacks.
In a memo to staff, Blinken said that a review showed a need for structural changes on “how the State Department should adapt to 21st-century challenges”.
He announced plans, subject to approval by Congress, to create a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy with a new special envoy for critical and emerging technology.
“This structure will provide us with greater leadership and accountability to drive the diplomatic agenda within the inter-agency and abroad,” Blinken wrote.
He said he would provide more details in a speech on Wednesday at the Foreign Service Institute, the State Department’s training centre in suburban Washington.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters the envoy will focus on “three key areas: international cyberspace security, international digital policy and digital freedom”.