Biden’s Cyber ​​Ambassador Urges Trump Not to Give Ground to Russia and China in Global Tech Fight

European governments are wondering whether Trump will continue US aid to Ukraine and NATO in the ongoing conflict with Russia played online. Fick’s team was very supportive to implement the policy by quickly providing cyber security assistance to the embattled Ukrainian government.

He said: “I was in Ukraine before Christmas, I was in Poland, I was in Estonia, on the eastern side of NATO,” he says, and added that he realized “the great desire for the United States to stay engaged and married.” recognizing that our European allies will need to do their part—which they, in a way, are increasingly doing.”

More broadly, Fick has heard “a strong desire among many allies and friends” for the US to continue to cooperate with China and Russia in strategic and technical discussions in international organizations such as the UN and the Group of 20.

“Without the United States being heavily involved, you’re going to see the Chinese being heavily involved, you’re going to see the Russians being heavily involved,” Fick says. “There is a lot of opinion (around the world) that the US needs, in its interests and in the interests of our allies and partners, to remain in the various organizations.”

Fick agrees with Republicans who see these multinational corporations as slow and timid, but wants the Trump administration to “recognize that one way is not to reduce the influence of these organizations; the other way is that they are just playgrounds for our competitors and our enemies.”

Celebrating a “Sea Change”

Looking back on his time as America’s cyber ambassador—which saw him spend more than 200 days traveling the world on nearly 80 trips to meet with US allies—Fick is proud of how his team established a new office within the State Department, it grew to about 130 employees, and delivered results that it says are changing the digital conversation.

One of the biggest things he did was set up foreign cyber aid fund that supports software sending security assistance to allies that have been hijacked, funding new submarine cables, and training foreign diplomats on cyber issues.

The security support service was first tested in November when Costa Rica faced another major ransomware attack. “We had people on the plane the next morning, Thanksgiving morning, hands on keyboards with our Costa Rican friends that night,” Fick says. “It’s amazing. This is a sea change in how we do this, and it will strengthen our hand in providing support to these middle countries. “

Fick also focused on preparing a modern Foreign Service, to achieve his goal of train one technical ambassador for each foreign embassy (around 237 in total) is successfully lobbying to add digital skills to State Department standards to become a career diplomat. He has also helped the Administration to confront the Pentagon at the White House in negotiations on foreign technology – putting “American negotiations on the table in the Situation Room on technology topics.”

And then there’s his team’s support for US cyber aid to Ukraine, from security software to satellite communications to the cloud migration of critical government data — a project he says provides a model for future cooperation with foreign organizations.

One Final Warning

Fick shared his thoughts on China, 5G, AI, deterrence, and other cyber issues with Trump’s transition team, and says there is more to do to keep technology “front and center” in government. But as he prepares to leave the government, he has one big piece of advice for the next administration.

“It’s important to have a bias in practice,” he says. “We admire a problem for too long instead of taking action to solve it… This principle may be imperfect, but not thinking is a choice, and the world is moving on without you.”

Put another way: In an era of advancing technology and increasing political competition, large institutions such as the State Department sometimes need to be encouraged to act.

“The job of leaders in these large organizations,” says Fick, “is to move the team to change faster than it can do on its own.”