Concerns about the security of open-source software will be discussed during the meeting.
On Thursday, the White House will host a meeting with executives from key technology companies, including Alphabet-owned Google, Apple Inc, and Amazon.com Inc, to address software security after the United States was rocked by multiple significant cyberattacks last year.
After the revelation of a security vulnerability in open-source software called Log4j, which enterprises all over the world use to record data in their apps, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a letter to the CEOs of major corporations in December.
Sullivan stated in the letter that open source software is widely used and maintained by volunteers, and that it is a “critical national security problem.”
The White House said in a statement that Thursday’s meeting, which will be convened by Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, will explore concerns about the security of open-source software and how it may be improved.
Other major technology companies expected to attend the summit include IBM, Microsoft Corp, Meta Platforms Inc, which owns Facebook, and Oracle Corp. Government institutions such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Commerce will also be present.
Following three significant intrusions last year that exposed thousands of documents stored by corporations and government organisations to hackers, cybersecurity has been a primary focus for the Biden administration.
One attack, which the US government believes was likely perpetrated by Russia, compromised SolarWinds software, giving hackers access to thousands of businesses and government offices that used the company’s products. The hackers gained access to emails from the US Treasury, Justice, and Commerce departments, among others.
Because of the increasing frequency and severity of such assaults, the administration issued an executive order last year establishing a review board and new software requirements for government organisations.