Cybersecurity has become a central issue for national security across the globe; a single hostile cyber operation can lead to significant human losses and financial damages, as well as cause catastrophic health, environmental, and economic impacts. The United States experienced this firsthand when a group of Russian hackers linked to intelligence agencies executed a significant breach of the government supplier SolarWinds, affecting as many as 12 federal agencies. In light of this, the United States is focusing on enhancing cybersecurity to protect critical infrastructure and secure American national security.
In this context, it is essential to highlight the policies that Harris may pursue if she reaches the Oval Office in the upcoming November elections. Harris will likely draw on her experience as the former Attorney General of California and her time as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in addition to her current role as Vice President under Joe Biden. She has engaged in various foreign policy issues, including those related to cybersecurity, and worked on initiatives concerning cybersecurity and the cyber domain alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in 2021.
Harris’s Policies
There are several predictions regarding the cybersecurity policies that Harris might implement if she becomes the first woman to win the American presidential elections. A summary of these policies is as follows:
First, she is expected to focus on legislation that protects individuals’ privacy. Given Harris’s track record on cybersecurity policies, it is anticipated that she will advocate for laws that safeguard individual data privacy and prevent companies from using this data without prior consent. She has previously supported tightening penalties and measures against mobile application developers who exploit individual data without consent and established a Privacy Protection and Enforcement Unit within the California Department of Justice to protect consumer and individual privacy in 2012.
Second, Harris is likely to combat hacking and address security vulnerabilities more vigorously. It is expected that she will adopt stricter policies toward technology companies, compelling them to address existing security flaws in their applications and programs that could negatively impact consumers. Therefore, it is not surprising that Harris has received both financial and moral support from cybersecurity experts during a fundraising event associated with the DEF CON hacker conference. Harris’s campaign and close aides have indicated that she will take a tough stance against fraudsters and cybercriminals, a move that is widely welcomed.
Third, she will seek to enhance mechanisms to counter foreign cyberattacks. Harris aims to combat attempts by foreign adversaries to interfere in governance, influence citizen behavior, disseminate disinformation, or launch cyberattacks against vital American infrastructure. This was evident when the U.S. Department of Justice seized around 32 domain names in 2024 linked to Moscow’s attempts to intervene in the upcoming presidential elections. In a sarcastic tone, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support for Harris’s potential presidency, while her campaign firmly rejected any foreign interference in these elections, stating, “from any party and from any country.”
Fourth, Harris intends to maintain policies that facilitate affordable internet access. Similar to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to support marginalized and rural communities, making internet access affordable through bipartisan infrastructure legislation, she is expected to prioritize this issue. She is particularly focused on reducing unsafe practices that accompany individuals’ attempts to access the internet. Harris stated, “When people do not have reliable internet access, they develop unsafe practices; they do not use password management software, do not rely on trustworthy websites, and miss out on automatic updates.”
Fifth, there is some uncertainty about whether Harris will retain the cybersecurity team in the White House. Some speculate that she may bring in new faces, while others believe she will keep existing personnel from federal agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Sixth, Harris is likely to support Biden’s policies on artificial intelligence. If Donald Trump wins the election, he is expected to rescind the executive order signed by President Biden aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence in federal agencies, looking for ways to address potential issues arising from its usage, with results to be reported to the White House in December 2024. Conversely, Harris is expected to maintain the executive order and may extend it, leveraging the findings to create legislation that Congress can pass to regulate AI usage in government oversight and service delivery to citizens. Trump hopes to implement less stringent measures regarding AI, not wanting to hinder creativity and innovation.
Seventh, Harris and Biden share common views on combating the monopolization of goods and services by large companies and their efforts to acquire smaller and startup companies. This issue affects the economy and can contribute to rising inflation, potentially limiting individuals’ purchasing power due to certain platforms or tech companies monopolizing a specific good or service and raising its price beyond what consumers can afford. Therefore, it is anticipated that Harris will seek to appoint strong figures to the Department of Justice or the Federal Communications Commission or the Federal Trade Commission to combat monopolistic practices.
Eighth, efforts to secure electoral processes will be heightened. Harris has not supported the use of electronic voting during her presidential primary campaign in 2019, arguing that traditional paper voting is less susceptible to malicious foreign interference or tampering. She has since advocated for enhancing cybersecurity measures for election websites, especially as many states move toward allowing electronic voting. In 2020, she co-sponsored the “Secure Elections Act,” aimed at combating cyber interference and misinformation in elections, and it is expected that discussions regarding cybersecurity legislation for election systems will intensify.
Ninth, she is expected to implement higher tax rates on major tech companies. Aligning with Biden’s desires and her various statements to appease progressives within the Democratic Party, Harris is likely to favor progressive taxation on large tech companies, contrasting with the tax cuts previously enacted by Trump in 2017 to satisfy the business community, which he announced he intends to extend further if he returns to the White House.
Finally, Harris holds clear views on combating racial and gender biases in various occupations in the job market. Concerning technology, particularly AI applications that some studies suggest may exhibit racial and gender biases due to data collected from specific environments, she will work to address this issue. It is anticipated that she will continue employing “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies initiated by the Biden administration.
Harris is also expected to bolster measures dealing with cryptocurrencies. Unlike Trump, who appears more open to the growth of the cryptocurrency market in the U.S. and advocates for a moderate approach to avoid stifling innovation, Harris calls for stricter regulations and measures to protect consumers and investors in cryptocurrencies, ensuring that dealings with cryptocurrency companies are more transparent and subject to stringent oversight by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Pace of Attention
In conclusion, it can be said that cybersecurity is an issue that transcends partisan divides; it concerns both the Republican and Democratic parties as well as various federal institutions. Therefore, regardless of whether the winner is Trump or Harris, this issue will command significant attention, and there may be similarities in their policies regarding it. Overall, there is unlikely to be a clear distinction between Harris’s policies and those adopted by President Joe Biden, especially since Harris’s statements in various forums and her electoral agenda have not deviated from the current path followed by the Democratic administration. One potential difference, however, is that the pace of attention to this issue may intensify with the increasing competition in the global context.
