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Commission to Obama: Step Up Cybersecurity Efforts

Cyberspace represents a major challenge for national security, and a comprehensive and inclusive cybersecurity strategy from the Obama administration is needed in order to protect the country's online infrastructure, according to recommendations from a committee of cybersecurity experts, released Monday.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Cybersecurity authored the report: Securing Cyberpace for the 44th Presidency. According to the CSIS home page, "the Commission's three major findings are: 1) cybersecurity is now one of the major national security problems facing the United States; 2) decisions and actions must respect American values related to privacy and civil liberties; and 3) only a comprehensive national security strategy that embraces both the domestic and international aspects of cybersecurity will improve the situation."

The Washington Post reports that Monday's recommendations from the commission of computer security experts "follow a series of cyber security breaches at some of the nation's most sensitive computer systems," including intrusions at NASA and the departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Commerce within the last year. A Forbes article suggests that the government should foster an open relationship with the private sector in order to best protect the country's critical cyber-based infrastructure.

• Securing Cyberpace for the 44th Presidency (CSIS)
• The Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency (CSIS)
• Washington Post: More Cyber Security Regulations Recommended
• Forbes: How Obama Can Fix Cybersecurity
• CNET: Tech Commission Suggests New Cybersecurity Post
• Computer Intrusions and Cyber Investigations (FBI.gov)
• Computers and the Internet: Privacy and Security (FTC.gov)
• Tips for Safer Computing (FindLaw)
• Consumers and the Internet: Articles, FAQ, and More (FindLaw)

Full post as published by FindLaw's Common Law on December 09, 2008 (boomark / email).