Cybersecurity Coordinator

Cybersecurity stakeholders converged at the White House this week to discuss ideas and progress being made since President Obama issued a digital protection plan last year.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now is responsible for ensuring agencies comply with federal information security requirements, according to a recent memo issued by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Critics of the White House's proposed national internet identity authentication plan, intended to improve online privacy and security, say the strategy may do just the opposite. Proponents, meanwhile, believe it represents a major step toward establishing online trust.

Howard Schmidt, White House cybersecurity coordinator and special assistant to the president, on Friday unveiled a draft plan for improving online privacy and security through the use of a trusted digital identity system. The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) seeks to improve cyberspace for all those who conduct business online. It would enable individuals to voluntarily obtain a secure credential, such as a smart identity card, from public and private sector providers to authenticate themselves online when banking, accessing electronic health records, sending email and making other online transactions. The White House is seeking comment on the draft strategy and plans to release a finalized version in the fall. — AM

A U.S. Senate committee unanimously passed a cybersecurity bill, which would grant the president emergency power over critical infrastructure networks.

Optimism, no matter how dosed with skepticism, feels right following the appointment of Howard Schmidt as the nation's cyber coordinator, says SC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Illena Armstrong.

Many experts say Canada needs a senior bureaucrat to oversee online security

Howard Schmidt, the newly appointed White House cybersecurity coordinator, unveiled details on a Bush-era program to help secure the United States in cyberspace.