US Intensifies Cybersecurity Initiative

The United States is the leader of all nations not for nothing. The government of President Barack Obama has announced establishment of a top-level government office in the White House to handle specific cybersecurity functions and initiatives. The announcement of the new post is apparently aimed at protecting the country's information networks and infrastructure.

The new office would be led by an appointed special advisor, to be called the Cybersecurity Coordinator. He would be part of the National Security Staff. The new office would be tasked to produce and manage national strategies for boosting, strengthening, and improving computer defenses. The proposed Cybersecurity Coordinator's office would work together with the Office of Management and Budget in keeping federal bodies maintain focus in keeping up national cybersecurity posture.

The cybersecurity czar would be vested specific powers and authorities. Aside from being an adviser to the president, the cybersecurity coordinator would also gain full backing from the Office of the President. He would have an extraordinary and guaranteed access to the president especially when there are pressing issues about Internet security challenges. If cyber attacks would transpire, the coordinator would also emerge to manage appropriate and needed government response.

The creation of the new office is expected to be a pioneer in cybersecurity practices in global countries. At present, almost all developed and developing nations are recognizing the need for concrete Internet security measures. However, governments are yet to institute organizations and agencies that would be specifically tasked to handle online security measures and issues. The US is again leading the pack. It is expected that sooner, other countries would aggressively follow suit. Many regions are also acting together to identify common cyber threats and issues. In the coming few years, more measures are expected to address pressing IT security concerns.

The Obama administration's move is expected to serve as a model for other national governments in addressing security problems across the virtual world. The US move is seen as a proof of commitment to the overall online security of national networks and individuals' (and businesses') computer systems. Among the immediate and actual priorities of the initiative are creation of national strategies, establishment of frameworks for unified responses to cyber incidents, promotion of national awareness about cybersecurity, development of strong relationships between public and private sectors, and bolstering of research and development regarding cybersecurity.

President Obama only acted on the pressing calls for heightened Internet security. In the US alone, millions of dollars are now being lost annually due to cyber crimes. Many individuals and businesses are being defrauded across the online media. The move to create a cybersecurity office is aligned with a vision to treat digital infrastructure as an important national asset. Thus, protection of IT infrastructure across the US would be a top national security priority, no less. The Cybersecurity Coordinator's Office would always ensure networks are resilient, trustworthy, and highly secured.

However, there are restrictions to US cybersecurity measures. President Obama asserted that cybersecurity pursuits of the government would not include monitoring of Internet traffic and of private sectors' networks. The government still aims to protect and preserve civil liberties and personal privacy that Americans very much cherish.

Commitment to neutrality, Mr. Obama ended, would leave online media as it should always be: free and very much open.