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Biden administration forms cybersecurity review board, report says

The board reportedly will first take up the widespread Log4j bug.

Andrew Blok Editor I
Andrew Blok has been an editor at CNET covering HVAC and home energy, with a focus on solar, since October 2021. As an environmental journalist, he navigates the changing energy landscape to help people make smart energy decisions. He's a graduate of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State and has written for several publications in the Great Lakes region, including Great Lakes Now and Environmental Health News, since 2019. You can find him in western Michigan watching birds.
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The Biden administration is pulling together a team of experts to review cybersecurity issues affecting government and business, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Made up of private sector and government specialists, the newly formed Cyber Safety Review Board will first tackle the Log4j bug, the Journal reported.

The bug, a vulnerability in a widely used Java-logging library called Apache Log4j, was discovered in December 2021. The vulnerability could be used by hackers to take over computer servers, potentially putting everything from consumer electronics to government and corporate systems at risk of cyberattacks.

The new cybersecurity team will investigate and issue reports on significant cybersecurity events, the Journal said, adding that details on the team are expected later Thursday.

The board will reportedly have some similarities to the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates accidents and advocates for transportation safety. The cybersecurity board, however, will lack subpoena power and be a part of the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Journal.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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