Last week the President traveled to Silicon Valley to kick off White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University, with the hopes of improving cybersecurity and enhancing the public-private partnership.
Obama kicked off the event by signing an executive order that “that calls for the establishment of industry hubs and a common set of information standards to facilitate greater collaboration in combating cyberthreats.” He also outlined the four basic principles necessary to combat cyberthreats:
- Shared Mission – Neither the public or private sector can tackle cyber threats on its own. Therefore, “government and industry have to share information as true partners.”
- Focus on Unique Strengths – Government cannot secure the networks of private companies and the private sector does not have the capabilities to deal with cyberattacks and notify companies across industries. Therefore, “individual strengths among various companies and industries need to be leveraged whenever possible and used for the greater good.”
- Constant Evolution – Hackers are always developing new strategies to penetrate and defeat defenses. “We have to be just as fast and flexible and nimble.”
- Protection of Privacy and Civil Liberties – The President stated that when “consumers share their information with companies, they deserve to know it will be protected. When Americans go online, they shouldn’t have to forfeit their basic privacy.”
More on the Presidents Cyber Summit can be found here and as well as at Business Insurance.