Review of security needs provides a long list of issues to address. Soon after he took office, President Obama asked for a wide review of the federal IT security landscape. The review’s purpose: to assess what laws and regulations exist, how effective they are, what needs to be changed and how government can work with corporations to protect the country and share technology ideas. The review, released in May, found 250 points to address in areas ranging from simply educating the public about cybersecurity to the more-complex and politically contentious issues of building a secure identity management system and devising a “cyber incident response” policy similar to how the White House monitors terrorist attacks and natural disasters. At a press conference to release the review, Obama defined the digital infrastructure as a “strategic national asset,” the defense of which should be a national priority. To read more, see Moving Target and System Security: 5 Ways to Improve Your Defenses Against Attack. A privacy and civil liberties official should be added to the National Security Council, the review also advised. And to promote U.S. use of “game-changing technologies,” more shared government-private sector research and development should be done. The review didn’t bowl over many security experts who have been calling for similar changes for years. Indeed, the Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report in December saying much the same thing, done by fewer people in less time. The big news was Obama’s creation of the position of Cybersecurity Coordinator, reporting to him and belonging to both the national security staff as well as the National Economic Council. It’s the cross-agency reach and Obama’s pledge to work closely with the private sector that will make the “cybersecurity czar” (who had not been named at press time) successful, says Eugene Schultz, CTO of consultancy Emagined Security. “Odds are higher that we will have sane management of this.” Do you Tweet? Follow me on twitter @knash99. Follow everything from CIO Magazine @CIOMagazine. Related content opinion The Importance of Identity Management in Security By Charles Pelton Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cybercrime Artificial Intelligence Data Management brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software Why data virtualization is critical for business success Data is your most valuable resource—but only if you can access it fast enough to address present challenges. Data virtualization is the key. By Milan Shetti, CEO of Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software The hybrid approach: Get the best of both mainframe and cloud Cloud computing and modernization often go hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean the mainframe should be left behind. A hybrid approach offers the most value, enabling businesses to get the best of both worlds. By Milan Shetti, CEO Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street Dear Oracle Cloud…I need my own space Access results from a recent Rimini Street survey about why enterprises are rethinking their Oracle relationship and cloud strategy. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cloud Computing Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe