Obama seeks enhanced cybersecurity laws to fight hackers after series of attacks
President aims to improve US protection from hackers in cyberspace after a series of recent disruption of government, businesses and consumer accounts
President Barack Obama sent a bill to Congress on Tuesday to strengthen US cybersecurity laws to protect government, businesses and consumers while protecting privacy, after recent hacking attacks against Sony Pictures, Home Depot and Target, and on Monday the federal government itself.
“We’ve got to stay ahead of those who would do us harm. The problem is that government and the private sector are still not always working as closely together as we should,” Obama said.
“Foreign governments, criminals and hackers probe America’s computer networks every single day.”
During a tour of a “war room” at the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity nerve centre, Obama said the attacks highlighted the threat to financial systems, power grids and healthcare systems that run on networks connected to the internet.
Congress has tried for years to pass legislation to encourage companies to share data from cyberattacks with the government and each other. Liability issues raised by companies and privacy concerns of civil liberties groups contributed to the failure to implement such laws.
Obama’s proposed legislation looks to balance needs with concerns by offering liability protection to companies that provide information in near-real-time to the government, while requiring them to strip it of any personal data.
On Monday, the Twitter and YouTube accounts of the US military command that oversees operations in the Middle East were hacked by people claiming to be sympathetic toward the Islamic State militant group being targeted in American bombing raids.
