On May 15, 2019, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13873, "Securing the
Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply
Chain" (Federal Register Vol. 84. No. 96, page 22689-92).
Supported by various laws and regulations, the president
determined that the United States' information communication
technology systems are increasingly under threat from "foreign
adversaries," defined as "any foreign government or
foreign non-government person engaged in a long-term pattern or
serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national
security of the United States or security and safety of United
States persons." These systems and services are targets for
"malicious cyber-enabled actions, including economic and
industrial espionage" as they "store and communicate vast
amounts of sensitive information, facilitate the digital economy,
and support critical infrastructure and vital emergency
services."
