- The Washington Times - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

President Obama is set to issue on Wednesday an executive order to fight off electronic attacks and hackers, according to various media.

The order — which has undergone several revisions over the past few months — sets the Department of Homeland Security as overseer of an information-sharing network that distributes intelligence information about cybersecurity risks, Fox News reports. The information would help U.S. business owners block hackers and attacks on their compute systems, Fox News says.

Some Republicans decry the executive order as yet another presidential bypass of congressional authority, according to Fox News. The executive order comes after Congress failed to pass similar legislation last summer, Fox News reports.

Executive orders only apply to those who work in the executive branch and not to the American citizenry at-large, said Judge Andrew Napolitano, a legal analyst for Fox News, during a Monday evening appearance on the cable network.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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