Privacy, Security & Virus Information

Cyber Cop Obama

President Obama might only have been in power for a short time, but he has already ordered a cyber-security review.

His administration place the fear of a net-borne attack alongside the threat of a biological, or nuclear attack.

The review will test how the U.S. will cope with a potential internet attack from external nations, spies, terrorist groups and hackers.

It is due to last 60 days and will cover the whole approach of U.S, cyber security strategies and plans.

John Brennan, a Presidential Assistant on counterterrorism and homeland security, said in a statement that “…the national security and economic health of the United States depend on the security, stability and integrity of our nation’s cyberspace, both in the public and private sectors.”

He added that he felt confident that the U.S. systems could be protected without a major restriction on civil liberties and individual privacy. This was possibly a side-swipe at the outgoing administration, as the Bush presidency was often accused of ignoring the privacy rights of the U.S. people and companies in the name of the fight against global terrorism.

The comprehensive review comes after a number of cyber incidents and reports which have questioned the ability of the U.S. to counter a concerted net attack. Most notably was a congressional panel that warned in November 2008 that China had increased its computer based espionage against the U.S., effectively stealing a huge amount of sensitive information from U.S. computer networks. A few months before the report on China, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which has the task of examining official policy, warned that the lack of cyberspace security remained a concern and that the Office of Homeland Security had yet to take a fully responsible attitude to the deficiencies.

And 2008 finished with another damning report, this time from the Commission on Cybersecurity, which said that concerted attack via the internet was a major threat to the U.S.

Melissa Hathaway, who looked after cyberspace monitoring for the previous administration, will be conducting the review for Obama.

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