White House discusses strengthening U.S. cybersecurity

On Tuesday, President Obama visited the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) where he spoke about plans to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity in 2015. His remarks at NCCIC come a week before his State of the Union address.

During his address at NCCIC, the President announced new cybersecurity legislation to better facilitate information sharing between the government and the private sector. This legislation improves upon prior legislation, builds on discussions with the federal government and private industry, and includes safeguards to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties.

The new cyber efforts also include updating the authorities used by law enforcement when investigating and prosecuting cyber criminals. This would include prosecuting those involved in the sale of botnets and spyware, and expands the authority of courts to shut down botnets and other malware.

The President also announced that a White House Summit on cybersecurity and consumer protection would be held in February at Stanford University. The summit will include participants from the U.S. government and across various industries, technology companies, and consumer and privacy advocates, as well as law professors and students.

President Obama concluded his remarks saying that the U.S. government and private sector would work together to “detect, prevent, defend, and deter” cyber attacks.

President Obama speaks about upcoming efforts to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity during a visit to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) in Arlington, VA.

For more information about President Obama’s remarks at NCCIC, please follow the link below.
Securing Cyberspace – President Obama Announces New Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal and Other Cybersecurity Efforts, The White House
Securing Our Cyberspace: President Obama’s New Steps to Strengthen America’s Cybersecurity, The White House
Obama’s Cybersecurity Proposals Part of Decade-Old Programs, The Associated Press