White House Details Plans to Strengthen Nation's Cyber Security

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 29, 2009 - 8:00am.

Washington - Calling this "a transformational moment" for the United States, President Obama on Friday announced plans to significantly beef up the nation's cyber security, starting with the appointment of a new cyber czar, who he expects to name in the coming weeks.

"In short, America's economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity," said Obama.

"It's now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. It's also clear that we're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country."

The remarks followed a 60-day review of the nation's communications and information infrastructure by the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.

Among the findings were the need for better government leadership, as well as expanded partnerships between the government and private sector and the development of an information sharing framework to improve incident response.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/j165w

http://www.whitehouse.gov/CyberReview

http://snipurl.com/j1652 (PDF of report)