President Obama on Friday designated cyber security as a national security priority, announced plans to select a cyber-security coordinator within the White House, and released a 76-page cyberspace action plan.
“[The] cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation," Obama said during a press conference at the White House. “It's the great irony of our Information Age – the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy."
Despite recent progress at the federal level, the U.S. is not adequately prepared to battle current cyber security threats, Obama said. This is largely due to overlapping missions and lack of communication between federal agencies and with the private sector.
“We saw this in the disorganized response to Conficker, the Internet 'worm' that in recent months has infected millions of computers around the world," he said. “No single official oversees cybersecurity policy across the federal government, and no single agency has the responsibility or authority to match the scope and scale of the challenge."
To that end, Obama said he would create a new office within the White House that will be led by a cybersecurity coordinator.
“Because of the critical importance of this work, I will personally select this official," Obama said. “I'll depend on this official in all matters relating to cybersecurity, and this official will have my full support and regular access to me as we confront these challenges."
The coordinator will be responsible for: orchestrating and integrating all cybersecurity policies for the government; working closely with the Office of Management and Budget to ensure agency budgets reflect those priorities; and, in the event of major cyber incident or attack, coordinating our response.
This person will also be named to the National Security and National Economic Councils.
The creation of such a position was one of the recommendations made in today's report. Shortly after taking office, Obama called on Melissa Hathaway, cyber coordination executive to the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a two-month review of the government's plans, programs, and activities related to cyber security.
“Our review was open and transparent," Obama said. “We listened to every level and branch of government -- from local to state to federal, civilian, military, homeland as well as intelligence, Congress and international partners, as well. I consulted with my national security teams, my homeland security teams, and my economic advisors."
“[The] cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation," Obama said during a press conference at the White House. “It's the great irony of our Information Age – the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy."
Despite recent progress at the federal level, the U.S. is not adequately prepared to battle current cyber security threats, Obama said. This is largely due to overlapping missions and lack of communication between federal agencies and with the private sector.
“We saw this in the disorganized response to Conficker, the Internet 'worm' that in recent months has infected millions of computers around the world," he said. “No single official oversees cybersecurity policy across the federal government, and no single agency has the responsibility or authority to match the scope and scale of the challenge."
To that end, Obama said he would create a new office within the White House that will be led by a cybersecurity coordinator.
“Because of the critical importance of this work, I will personally select this official," Obama said. “I'll depend on this official in all matters relating to cybersecurity, and this official will have my full support and regular access to me as we confront these challenges."
The coordinator will be responsible for: orchestrating and integrating all cybersecurity policies for the government; working closely with the Office of Management and Budget to ensure agency budgets reflect those priorities; and, in the event of major cyber incident or attack, coordinating our response.
This person will also be named to the National Security and National Economic Councils.
The creation of such a position was one of the recommendations made in today's report. Shortly after taking office, Obama called on Melissa Hathaway, cyber coordination executive to the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a two-month review of the government's plans, programs, and activities related to cyber security.
“Our review was open and transparent," Obama said. “We listened to every level and branch of government -- from local to state to federal, civilian, military, homeland as well as intelligence, Congress and international partners, as well. I consulted with my national security teams, my homeland security teams, and my economic advisors."
