In his annual budget proposal, set to be unveiled Tuesday, Obama will include $19 billion for bolstering cybersecurity in the federal government, including $3.1 billion to replace outdated IT systems that are hard to secure.
Advertisement
Obama is moving to create a permanent Federal Privacy Council, which will consist of privacy officials from across the government who will create guidelines for how to “responsibly collect and store data”, Tony Scott, U.S. chief information officer, said during the call.
A White House fact sheet called the plan “the capstone of more than seven years of determined effort” by the administration to glean lessons learned and best practices from cybersecurity trends, threats and intrusions.
President Barack Obama says that some of the federal governments information technology systems are archaic and that “we need to upgrade them” to get serious about improving security.
The administration advocated for privacy protections in the data-sharing bill that Obama signed into law in December, but the final product disappointed privacy groups, which claim that the measure expands surveillance.
President Barack Obama is proposing a Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP), including more than $19 billion in his fiscal year 2017 budget request for cybersecurity efforts. In this case, a central office to coordinate security efforts makes sense, as the government’s many disparate computer and human systems interact with each other.
“Ultimately, we want to enhance cybersecurity awareness and protections, protect privacy, ensure public safety and economic and national security, and empower Americans to take better control of their digital security”.
Christian Beckner, deputy director of the George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, is more skeptical about the commission because the report will be released during the start of a new presidential term and executive cabinet.
As part of his initiative, Mr Obama issued an executive order creating a 12-member cybersecurity commission to make recommendations to both the public and private sectors.
The proposed spending increases may face a rough passage through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which controls the United States federal government’s purse strings.
The campaign is about “moving beyond just passwords and adding an extra layer of security”, such as biometric identification or multi-factor authentication using a secure code, according to the White House.
The White House also plans to invest $62 million in programs to address the shortage of workers specializing in cybersecurity.
And a new Cybersecurity Assurance Program will test and certify connected devices, from refrigerators to medical infusion pumps, “so that when you buy a new product, you can be sure that it has been certified to meet security standards”. In addition, certain student loans will be forgiven for cybersecurity professionals who join the federal workforce. Prior to joining FCW, he was a reporter and editor at Smart Grid Today, where he covered everything from cyber vulnerabilities in the USA electric grid to the national energy policies of Britain and Mexico.
Advertisement
“Criminals, terrorists, and countries who wish to do us harm have all realized that attacking us online is often easier than attacking us in person”, the White House said in a statement.
