Biden rallies the cyber troops

A meeting between President Biden and more than two dozen key leaders from a variety of industries this week has increased momentum for plans to quickly address rising cyber threats.

Top companies involved: Leaders from the fields of tech, energy, insurance and education attended the event Wednesday, including the CEOs of Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, JPMorgan and Bank of America.

For the Biden administration, the summit also served to highlight the federal government’s efforts to tackle cybersecurity challenges following months of massive attacks on public and private groups that have pinched key industries while laying bare the scourge of cybercrime.

Industry leaders weigh in: “Look, there is nothing like a summit convened by the president to focus everyone’s minds, and I think that is the benefit of doing something like this,” Chris Padilla, the vice president of government and regulatory affairs at IBM who attended the meeting, told The Hill.

“It elevates importance, it commits very senior-level people to follow up and do something, and good for them for doing it,” he said.