I’m a big fan of Bloomberg West.  Perhaps more so than almost any other television news program, it does a terrific job of providing both depth and breadth on issues that are important to the technology industry.  Tonight’s report by Megan Hughes about breaking developments on the cybersecurity front today was no exception.  Watch it here:

President Obama Seeks CEO Input on Cyber Battle: Video – Bloomberg.

The highlights:

  • President Obama met with CEO’s of major multinational corporations, financial leaders, and big players in critical infrastructure  at the White House . . . in the Situation Room.  The parties allegedly discussed the need for cybersecurity legislation and the President’s recent Executive Order on cybersecurity.
  • First Lady Obama’s personal information has allegedly been compromised.  The President used the development to create awareness of the problems posed by hackers and the proliferation of websites where stolen credit card numbers are sold on the black market.
  • The President of Mandiant will be testifying before the U.S. Senate next week.  No doubt, this report by Mandiant will be a significant topic of discussion.
  • The Director of National Intelligence has said that cyberattacks are now considered the #1 threat to U.S. security, replacing terrorism at the top of the list.
  • There were three separate Congressional hearings relating to Cybersecurity today, ranging from criminal prosecution and the FBI to Homeland Security and critical infrastructure to issues relating to funding for cyber initiatives.

In short, the Cyber Battle is on, and it’s going to take a united front between the  Executive branch, Congress, and the private sector for the U.S. to minimize the risks associated with cyber attacks.

 

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