Securing Cyberspace

The United States must change its cyber security strategies and practices in order to guard against technological advancements, according to a new report from the White House’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. The commission, which was formed in February and is chaired by Tom Donilan, President Obama’s former national security advisor, presented a total of 16 recommendations and 53 associated action items. The recommendations all fall into six catagories: protecting and defending cyber infrastructure and digital networks, the importance of innovation and the need to accelerate investment in cyber security efforts, “preparing consumers to thrive in a digital age,” building the appropriate cybersecurity workforce, “better equipping the government to function effectively and securely in the digital age,” and ensuring an “open, fair, competitive, and secure global digital economy,” states the report. The report stressed the importance of public-private partnerships and encouraged the incoming administration to begin implementing many of the recommendations within its first 100 days. “In total, the commission’s recommendations affirm the course that this administration has laid out, but make clear that there is much more to do and the next administration, Congress, the private sector, and the general public need to build on this progress,” said President Obama in a statement following the report’s release on Friday.