San Francisco - President Barack Obama is asking Silicon Valley to join his plan to boost cybersecurity, as he takes new measures to improve sharing of threat information in the absence of legislation.
A new executive order -- to be signed at a White House cybersecurity summit Friday in California -- aims to encourage better and faster sharing of threats between the private sector and government.
The summit comes amid increased concerns over cybersecurity following a major intrusion last year into the network of Sony Pictures, which has been blamed on North Korea, and data breaches exposing the personal data of tens of millions of Americans.
"Rapid information sharing is an essential element of effective cybersecurity, because it enables US companies to work together to respond to threats, rather than operating alone," a White House statement said.
"This executive order lays out a framework for expanded information sharing designed to help companies work together, and work with the federal government, to quickly identify and protect against cyber threats."
The new measure goes beyond a similar order signed by Obama last February, by allowing for cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security and private sector entities aimed at sharing data on threats.
It also makes it easier for private sector firms to gain access to classified threat information to step up cyber defences.
Although the order lacks the liability protection which could be afforded in legislation for information sharing, the White House statement said the measure "paves the way for new legislation" by establishing a framework for private-sector information sharing networks.
The White House in January made a renewed push for a new cybersecurity law, asking the new Congress to revive an initiative stalled over the past few years.
The new proposal would criminalize the sale of stolen financial data, and would require companies to notify consumers about data breaches.
AFP
