Obama setting up better security for computers

— -- America has for too long failed to adequately protect the security of its computer networks, President Barack Obama said Friday, announcing he will name a new cyber czar to take on the job.

"The status quo is no longer acceptable," said Obama. "We can and must do better."

Surrounded by a host of government officials, aides and corporate executives, Obama said this is a "transformational moment" for the country, where computer networks are probed and attacked millions of times a day.

"We're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country," he said, calling cyber threats one of the most serious economic and military dangers the nation faces.

He said he will soon pick the person he wants to head up a new White House office of cyber security, and that person will report to the National Security Council as well as to the National Economic Council, in a nod to the importance of computers to the economy.

Obama made it clear that the White House will get fully behind a comprehensive mandate to stem cyber threats and make the Internet safer for consumers and corporate use, while also protecting our nation's strategic interests, without violating privacy. The announcement coincided with the release of a 40-page review of U.S. cybersecurity policy pulled together by former Booz Allen Hamilton management consultant Melissa Hathaway, who may still be in the running to be named to the nation's new top cybersecurity post.

While the newly interconnected world offers great promise, Obama said it also presents significant peril as well. The president declared: "Cyberspace is real, and so is the risk that comes with it."

Laying out a broad five-point plan, the president said the U.S. needs to provide the education required to keep pace with technology and attract and retain a cyber-savvy work force. He called for a new education campaign to raise public awareness of the challenges and threats related to cyber security.

Supportive feedback has been pouring in. "We hope the cybersecurity czar will focus on establishing a government-endorsed 'minimum bar' for security that applies to a broad range of industries," says Dominique Levin, vice president of Marketing and Strategy for LogLogic." This standard would definitely be a positive for the security industry and for American businesses and could make it a lot easier for executives in business to get approval for investments in security. Additionally, security is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, so any initiative that can raise the bar is a good thing."