The Biden administration’s Cybersecurity Executive Order (Cyber EO) issued in May 2021 marks the Federal government’s most determined effort yet to not only propose – but also to enforce through sustained government-wide action – the kinds of fundamental changes needed to advance civilian agency cybersecurity, defeat sophisticated attacks on government networks, and in the process, take a giant leap forward in the cause of IT modernization.

Six months in, where do we stand? Here’s a rundown on the government’s key points of progress on major portions of the order, and what some of the most astute private sector security providers think about its pace and its promise.