- Trump has issued a policy to bolster the cybersecurity of national security systems
- The memo calls for the reestablishment of the Committee on National Security Systems
- The 2026 Intel Summit will examine data, AI, cyber and secure information-sharing across IC
President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the reestablishment of the Committee on National Security Systems, or CNSS, as part of efforts to strengthen the cybersecurity of the country’s NSS.
As federal agencies work to strengthen cybersecurity, intelligence leaders continue to prioritize secure information-sharing, AI adoption and cyber capabilities across the national security enterprise. These topics and other modernization efforts will be explored at the 2026 Intel Summit, where government and industry leaders will discuss how intelligence organizations are adapting to evolving mission requirements in a constrained fiscal environment. Secure your seat now at the Sept. 24 event!
The White House said Friday the directive outlines the governance structure of CNSS and the role of the National Security Agency director as the national manager for NSS. It also rescinds National Security Directive 42 and National Security Memorandum 8.
The new policy came a week after the president issued a memo directing federal national security agencies to accelerate the development, acquisition and use of artificial intelligence in warfighting and intelligence missions.
What Is the Committee on National Security Systems?
Under the memo, CNSS will help strengthen accountability and coordination across the Department of War, the intelligence community and federal civilian executive branch agencies that own or operate NSS.
CNSS will establish baseline cybersecurity requirements for NSS, issue directives and standards applicable to all NSS and oversee implementation of security measures through member agencies. The committee will also coordinate information-sharing, support secure shared services and maintain a governmentwide portal for NSS guidance and policies.
The committee will be chaired by a member of the National Security Council staff and include representatives from DOW, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Office of Management and Budget and NSA.
CNSS should also work with the proposed policy coordination committee to manage assessment requests concerning the cybersecurity posture of NSS, including performance metrics, cybersecurity results and compliance with current policy.
What Are the Responsibilities of the National Manager for NSS?
The memorandum designates the NSA director as the national manager for NSS.
In that role, the national manager will offer technical advice to CNSS, recommend incident response actions for security incidents affecting NSS and issue emergency directives to agencies when significant cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities or risks emerge.
The national manager will also serve as the cryptologic authority for NSS, overseeing cryptographic standards, key management, technical security services and cybersecurity assessments. Additional responsibilities include evaluating NSS security, supporting incident reporting, conducting cybersecurity research and development and establishing requirements for cross-domain capabilities used across national security environments.
