President Barack Obama'sannouncement that he will name a senior White House staffer, reporting regularly to him, as the coordinator of a concerted public-private campaign to stem escalating cyber threats could be big step forward for the good guys. Security experts react to the news.
-- Martha Austin, executive director, Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection at Dartmouth College: "Because the vast majority of IT systems that run our nation's critical infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector, it is imperative -- as the President pointed out -- that the nation's cyber security coordinator make a concerted and determined effort to reach out to the business community. The fact that the President so forcefully expressed his commitment to privacy and net neutrality should reassure the business community that the nation's need to balance security with accessibility will be well considered."
-- Ken Silva, CTO, VeriSign: Obama's plan "underscores just how serious this issue is and that the administration appears to understand the significance. It is just a call for action; it is not action in and of itself. I'm optimistic that his recommendations will be acted upon."
-- Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Harry Raduege, chairman, Deloitte Center for Network Innovation: "The president recognizes the fact that cybersecurity has become a critical element, not just for national security, but also for economic opportunities for our nation. The fact that he's going to personally select a person who is going to have direct access to him, and be a member of the National Security Council and the National Economic Council, is very important."
-- Greg Brown, co-CEO, Motorola: "It is critical that effective, hands-on public-private partnerships are developed. This is a challenge that will require the collaborative efforts of businesses and government to be successful."
-- Ryan Barnett, research director, Breach Security: "We must have broad visibility and coordination in order to realize a new defensible strategy to protect our interests in cyberspace. A national plan for detection, prevention and response to these types of attacks is paramount."
-- Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-chair, House Cyber Security Caucus. "This White House report is a good starting point for the work that lies ahead … including increased coordination between the private and public sectors and within various government agencies. I am especially pleased to hear President Obama refer to our cyber infrastructure as a "Strategic National Asset" and a top national security priority. Over the coming months, I look forward to working with the new Cyber Coordinator to fine tune its more general recommendations and make sure we are putting this report into action."
By Byron Acohido
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