Obama to focus on cybersecurity in heart of Silicon Valley

[riversedge]

Source: AP



Obama to focus on cybersecurity in heart of Silicon Valley

Posted 3:25 a.m. today
Updated 7:20 a.m. today


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Cybersecurity often an afterthought

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President Barack Obama high five's a boy upon his arrival at San Francisco International Airport, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, in San Francisco. The President will travel to Palo Alto, Calif., to deliver remarks at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University on Friday, Feb. 13. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE AND MARTHA MENDOZA, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Responding to unprecedented data breaches and cyberattacks, President Barack Obama is trying to spark alliances between policymakers who want to regulate the online world and tech innovators who traditionally shun Beltway bureaucracies.

In California's Silicon Valley on Friday, Obama was participating in a White House summit on cybersecurity and consumer protection, joining hundreds of administration officials, tech and other CEOs, law enforcement officials and consumer and privacy advocates. The focus is on encouraging every player to do better at sharing information that can help the private sector prevent and respond to costly and potentially crippling threats to the security of their online networks.
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J.J. Thompson, CEO and managing director of Rook Security, a consulting firm founded in San Jose, California, said the symbolic significance of the gathering could not be overstated, despite its "dog and pony show" aspects. The summit is being held at Stanford University, a hub of tech innovation..........

Read more at http://www.wral.com/obama-to-focus-on-cybersecurity-in-heart-of-silicon-valley/14443887/#AXbCfqsUU1reB0Tb.99

Read more: http://www.wral.com/obama-to-focus-on-cybersecurity-in-heart-of-silicon-valley/14443887/

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Pres. Obama will deliver the keynote address

[jakeXT]

1. Obama to encourage companies to share cyber threat data

President Barack Obama is set to sign an executive order on Friday aimed at encouraging companies to share more information about cybersecurity threats with the government and each other, a response to attacks like that on Sony Entertainment.

The order sets the stage for new private-sector led "information sharing and analysis organizations" (ISAOs) - hubs where companies share cyber threat data with each other and with the Department of Homeland Security.

It is one step in a long effort to make companies as well as privacy and consumer advocates more comfortable with proposed legislation that would offer participating companies liability protection, the White House said.

"We believe that by clearly defining what makes for a good ISAO, that will make tying liability protection to sectoral organizations easier and more accessible to the public and to privacy and civil liberties advocates," said Michael Daniel, Obama's cyber coordinator, in a conference call with reporters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/13/us-usa-cybersecurity-exclusive-idUSKBN0LG2GR20150213

[seabeckind]

2. Oh well...at least it's true to form

From the reuters article:

Cybersecurity industry veterans said Obama's anticipated order would be only a modest step in one of the president's major priorities - the defense of companies from attacks like those on Sony and Anthem Inc.

Obama has proposed legislation to require more information-sharing and limit any legal liability for companies that share too much. Only Congress can provide the liability protection through legislation.

Businesses are unlikely to share a lot of timely and "actionable" cyber intelligence without liability relief, said Mike Brown, a vice president with the RSA security division of EMC Corp.

I'd feel a lot better if steps were taken to protect the people. It's nice that we'll be able to limit the liability of the corporations.