White House Issues Interim Statement On Cybersecurity Review

Will the Obama administration appoint a cybersecurity czar or leave things status quo? Will there be a new push to protect computer systems that operate the country's critical infrastructure? Your guess is as good as ours, but a 60-day review of the situation is under way and scheduled to be completed in late April.

Yesterday John Brennan, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and counterterrorism, issued the following update on the 60-day cybersecurity review. It doesn't offer much new information, but it does suggest that the administration's online security plans may be laid out as soon as next month. Here's Brennan's full statement:

"In response to President Obama's direction, the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council are presently conducting a 60-day review of the plans, programs, and activities underway throughout the government that address our communications and information infrastructure (i.e., cyberspace). The purpose of the review is to develop a strategic framework to ensure that our initiatives in this area are appropriately integrated, resourced and coordinated both within the Executive Branch and with Congress and the private sector.

"Our nation's security and economic prosperity depend on the security, stability, and integrity of communications and information infrastructure that are largely privately-owned and globally-operated. Safeguarding these important interests will require balanced decision making that integrates and harmonizes our national and economic security objectives with enduring respect for the rule of law.

"Guided by this principle, the review will build upon existing policies and structures to formulate a new vision for a national public-private partnership and an action plan to: enhance economic prosperity and facilitate market leadership for the U.S. information and communications industry; deter, prevent, detect, defend against, respond to, and remediate disruptions and damage to U.S. communications and information infrastructure; ensure U.S. capabilities to operate in cyberspace in support of national goals; and safeguard the privacy rights and civil liberties of our citizens.

"The review will be completed by the end of April 2009. At that time, the review team will present its recommendations to the President regarding an optimal White House organizational construct to address issues related to U.S. and global information and communications infrastructure and capabilities. The recommendations also will include an action plan on identifying and prioritizing further work in this area."

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