The Obama administration has issued the draft of an executive order on cyber security. The draft came right after the Senate wasn’t able to form consensus on a cybersecurity bill and had to let go of it. Obama administration is seeking to take measures to ensure security of such infrastructure which is highly critical; such as power grids, transportation systems and water supply. The plan is to thwart any cyber attacks on the digital systems handling critical national infrastructure.
For now, an early draft of the executive order has been sent to the federal agencies. It is being anticipated that another draft will be presented the next week. The White House’s plan is to present certain cybersecurity standards and best practices which must be met. It will then be up to the private sector companies to come up with ways to enact these practices and standards.
Talking about the draft, a White House spokesperson said, “An executive order is one of a number of measures we’re considering as we look to implement the president’s direction to do absolutely everything we can to better protect our nation against today’s cyberthreats.”
It is being speculated that the White House intends to offer different incentives to the companies, in return for enactment of its proposed standards. The incentives could be the likes of offering legal security against lawsuits if they suffer a security breach. However, this may be impossible for the White House alone as such authority lies with the Congress. And because of that, many believe, the actual implementation of the draft is a long-term goal.
Courtesy: The Hill
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