by Mark Silva
Calling the protection of government and private information and communications networks "one of the most serious... security challenges of the 21st Century,'' President Barack Obama plans to appoint a new advisor to oversee a national effort at improving "cyber-security'' throughout the United States.
The president, citing millions of Americans who already have been "victimized'' by computer tampering, said today that his own presidential campaign computers were breached by hackers between August and October. Although none of the campaign's financial files were compromised, Obama said, the FBI and Secret Service were put to work on the problem and the campaign hired private security advisers.
It already had been reported last fall that hackers from China had compromised the campaign computers of both Democrat Obama and Republican rival Sen. John McCain, with large amounts of "policy related information'' downloaded. The Secret Service alerted both campaigns, which hired security consultants.
The president is creating a new post at the White House, a Cyber Security Coordinator, whom Obama plans to appoint soon.
The government will not "dictate'' any security measures for private industry, the president said, but rather work with business in coordinating security.
And, he said, "our pursuit of cyber-security will not include monitoring'' any private communications, but rather "keep the Internet as it should be, open and free.''
"My administration will pursue a new comprehensive approach to securing America's digital infrastructure,'' Obama said in an address in the East Room of the White House. "From now on, they will be treated as they should be... as a strategic national asset. We will assure that these networks are secure.
"When it comes to cyber-security, federal agencies have overlapping missions and don't cooperate (as well) as they should,'' Obama said. "This status quo is no longer acceptable, not when there is so much at stake. We can, and should, do better.''
Obama's so-called "cyber-czar,'' whom the president plans to name next week, will pick up where the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council have left off with a 60-day review of the vulnerabilities in public and private computer networks that the White House released today.
The report concludes that not only the federal government, but also state and local governments, the private sector and "key U.S. allies'' must coordinate programs to protect their computer networks against threats from outside tampering.
Calling "America's digital infrastructure... the backbone that underpins a strong economy,'' the president said, "it's long been said that the revolutions in information and communications technology have given birth to a virtual world.
"It's our hardware and our software, our desktops and laptops... our cell phones and our BlackBerries... the local networks in our schools and hospitals and the massive grids that power our nation,'' Obama said. "Cyber-space is real, and so are the risks that come with it.
" Millions of Americans have been victimized,'' the president said, adding: "I know how it feels to have privacy violated, because it has happened to me and the people around me.
"It's no secret that my campaign harnessed technology,'' Obama said of a record campaign fundraising effort based on a massive email base of supporters. "What isn't generally known is that during the general election, hackers managed to penetrate our computer system... Between August and October, hackers gained access '' to files.
"We worked closely with the FBI and Secret Service,'' Obama said, and his campaign hired security advisers to protect its files. He said that none of the financial information of campaign donors had been compromised.
"For all these reasons, it's now clear that this cyber-threat'' is real, the president said today. "Just as we failed in the past to invest in our physical infrastructure, we (have) failed to invest in the security of our cyber infrastructure.''
Threats to the government's information and communications networks "pose one of the most serious economic and national security challenges of the 21st Century for the United States and our allies,'' the White House says in the report issued today.
The government "cannot succeed in securing cyber-space in isolation,'' the White House says, but must work with business, state and local governments and key allies.
A review team that Obama commissioned in February to examine all of the government's existing programs to protect communications and information networks has concluded that a "presidential cyber-security policy'' is needed to strengthen security throughout the United States. The laws and policies governing federal, state and local cyber-security also are in need of review and strengthening.
Just as the nation focused on math and science education in the 1960s, the report concludes, the government must expand and improve its information technology workforce and also share information about threats and vulnerabilities in IT systems across all levels of the government and private industry.
The government should work with not only the private sector in improving cyber-security, the report says, but also with "key U.S. allies.''
The government needs a framework for "coordinated responses'' to significant cyber-security "incidents,'' the report concludes, and the government must cooperate with private industry in the development of safeguards for all of their networks.
Comments
Oh gee, another czar, what a suprise.
Posted by: vla | May 29, 2009 12:21 PM
It happened to him so it must be a problem. Looks like none of his campaign staffers had much experience either.
Might as well use any diversion to downplay negative from the Peacl loving Muslim terrorists that have been threating and attacking us.
Posted by: Tim | May 29, 2009 12:44 PM
Hey Tim: I'm sure that you'll contrast President Obama's acts to President Bush's acts to handle the peace-loving Muslim terrorists that have been threatening and attacking us. I mean, invading and occupying Iraq sure stopped them cold, didn't it?
Posted by: BC | May 29, 2009 1:29 PM
"our pursuit of cyber-security will not include monitoring'' any private communications, but rather "keep the Internet as it should be, open and free.'' ~ Mustapha Mond
But 3,800,000 square miles is a whole lot of land area for any one person to watch over night and day. Mustapha is getting himself a helper.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | May 29, 2009 1:33 PM
Perhaps our beloved messiah wants to chack to see what the people really think of his communist ideas. I wish he would get rid of all the people that don't pay their taxes or their bills that are in his cabinet. Count me as one of the DHS homeland terrorists.
Posted by: jim downey | May 29, 2009 1:33 PM
Perhaps our beloved messiah wants to chack to see what the people really think of his communist ideas. I wish he would get rid of all the people that don't pay their taxes or their bills that are in his cabinet. Count me as one of the DHS homeland terrorists.
Posted by: jim downey | May 29, 2009 1:33 PM
Might as well use any diversion to downplay negative from the Peacl loving Muslim terrorists that have been threating and attacking us.
Posted by: Tim | May 29, 2009 12:44 PM
*****************
Yeah, why don't we just do like the BushCo Republicans did and hire everything out to Blackwater, KBR and Halliburton, that'll work.....NOT!
Quit wetting your pants over everything, Wingnuts!
Posted by: Repubs are idiots | May 29, 2009 1:33 PM
Czar--is Red Square in America now? Many of my friends know that it is time to go low tech--it's safer that way. Why put all your stuff out there for the world to see? Maybe some--no matter how loudly they protest-- really do want the world to see.
Posted by: Vivian | May 29, 2009 1:40 PM
For any elected sitting President to endless criticize anything and EVERYTHING his predecessor has done is pretty pathetic, irresponsible, and just about what I expected, should he find a way to get himself elected. God help us all. How come we don't get any 'czarina's'?? We want czarina's, we want czarina's, we want czarins's...Do Supreme Court picks count?
Posted by: Banderman | May 29, 2009 1:46 PM
So what? It is not as if Barry would do anything about it.
I would assume that Barry will name Bill Ayers as his new czar?
Has anyone noticed that Barry now has more czars than there were in all of the history of Russia? He has also had more deficit spending than all US Presidents before him, combined.
You can keep the "change".
Posted by: BDD | May 29, 2009 2:11 PM
I'm so sure Barry will protect us from ANY Cyber threat. He has a great deal of experience in covering up his college transcripts. He is so good at covering up he should be EXCELLENT at finding cover-ups.
Posted by: senator dirksen | May 29, 2009 2:35 PM
Banderman,
Latina Czarinas ~ certainly my preference.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | May 29, 2009 2:38 PM
For any elected sitting President to endless criticize anything and EVERYTHING his predecessor has done is pretty pathetic, irresponsible, and just about what I expected
Posted by: Banderman | May 29, 2009 1:46 PM
**************
Yeah, and I'm sure you're saying the same thing about Cheney, right?
Shrub Jr, Cheney and the BushCo Republicans screwed up everything they touched so badly the last eight years that we're still going to be cleaning up the mess they made 30-40 years from now.
Did you deadender Wingnuts really think people were going to forget what the Bush Crime Family did after just 3 1/2 months? If you did then you're even more delusional than I thought.
"George W. Bush's presidency appears headed for colossal historical disgrace. Barring a cataclysmic event on the order of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, after which the public might rally around the White House once again, there seems to be little the administration can do to avoid being ranked on the lowest tier of U.S. presidents. And that may be the best-case scenario. Many historians are now wondering whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history"
.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9961300/the_worst_president_in_history
Posted by: Batman | May 29, 2009 3:05 PM
Have the republicans had there heads in the ?????sand? How quick they forget their leader Bush. The term was started under him.
Posted by: bill r. | May 29, 2009 3:06 PM
Banderman,
Latina Czarinas ~ certainly my preference.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | May 29, 2009 2:38 PM
That can't be! Those czarinas must certainly be tied to MEChA. They want to take back their states from the US. Is it just female latinos you approve of?
Posted by: bill r. | May 29, 2009 3:32 PM
The US is already racked #6 among electronic police states. This will bring us into line with N. Korea.
https://secure.cryptohippie.com/pubs/EPS-2008.pdf
Posted by: Karl W | May 29, 2009 4:53 PM
For those of you who are starting to wake up after turning our country over to a flaming socialist, keep in mind what he did with Homeland Security. He knows the power of the Internet and he knows what it can do. He has to establish a department that will have the legal position to monitor and track those whom he believes are the bad guys. That would not be terrorist because he's already said they are good guys and he doesn't want to upset them. What he wants to do is be able to stiffle any political forces just like he is doing with Homeland Security.
People messed up big time by thinking they would vote for anyone except a conservative. That allowed socialist that control our higher "ivy league" schools to put in someone who could ram socialism down our throats so fast we wouldn't be able to stop it.
That's why he's got to get everything in place before the elections next year. When Republicans regain control of legislation it will too difficult for them to undo the damage. They will have their hands full just trying to keep Obama from pushing us over the edge into communism.
People don't realize the damage they did to our country in the last election. More damage was done than there has been in all wars put together. In fact, the damage may be so great we will never fully recover.
Posted by: Diogenes | May 29, 2009 8:19 PM
Hey bill r.,
Latinas are my friends. It may not be a smoldering hot romance that gets stroked, but we WILL be friends because I will probably be besotted. There is not going to be ANY way around that, probably, and the intrinsic entertainment value will be too high to debase. With the fellas, there is often a chance of a good musical connection worthy of our mutual considered attention.
I really don't know what MEChA is. I do know that Latinos vote democrat 70-30, but I don't consider that to be a permanent condition, and I would never hold that against them anyway. As a Hard Core Right Wing Neocon Wingnut, my issue is with governments and the ideologies that seem committed to taking away personal freedom and economic opportunity, never any ethnic group or culture at any time or any place. On that basis, my close and personal Latino friends are Hard Core Right Wing Neocon Wingnuts too.
We all work hard at whatever it is that we do, for the best quality of life that we can personally attain in this country called America, and that is what I see. democrats want Latinos as one of their permanently disenfranchised voting blocs. Republicans have been complicit in wanting cheap labor, as they (Republicans) routinely get flagellated over the Immigration Issue. All of this un-pure political business needs to get sorted out somehow, but if I had any influence, it would have to be ~ "Bienvenidos to America. Social Security is a 7.85% tax on the 1st $90,000, or so. America will $urely take your contribution$". Assuming that said individuals were not engaged in criminal activities, we would happily move forward from there.
As El Rey, I would probably be too pre-disposed to all things Latino, (see paragraph one) but at least there would not be Any on-going political advantage for those who have a Title on the blue states.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | May 29, 2009 10:38 PM
Obama's a liar, "they've" already been invading your privacy and snooping (gathering info) into your personal lives. Go to YouTube and search for the AT&T whistle-blower who explains it. The government is looking for more control over the internet because it's one of the few places people can get the truth and communicate in mass numbers. People better wake-up and look what's going-on, like the "cyber-bullying" BS, they're after your 1st Amendment rights folks, and they don't intend to stop there either. Best put a stop to it, while you can.
Posted by: Wakeupsheeple | May 30, 2009 7:54 AM
This is how you ruin the freedom of the internet. He has no business coming to the internet and screwing with everyone. All the idiotic young people are gonna be soooo sorry now.
Posted by: "O"SociaThr | May 30, 2009 12:30 PM
p.s. bill r,
How could I forget about this. The Latinas need me for the Global Warming Report. They are generally very intrigued to know that they are individually and collectively responsible for Global Warming. Could not tell you that they have totally bought into the subliminal connections that I lay bare, but it is a captivating, scintillating, report that only I seem to be able to provide.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | May 30, 2009 2:25 PM