Calling for a new age of cooperation between government and private industry, President Obama said Friday that neither entity can fend off sophisticated cyberattacks on their own and must work together to secure the U.S. in the digital age.
“This has to be a shared mission. So much of our computer networks and critical infrastructure are in the private sector, which means that government cannot do this alone,” the president said at a White House cybersecurity summit at Stanford University. “But the fact is the private sector can’t do it alone either because it is government that often has the latest information on new threats. There is only one way to defend Americans from these cyberattacks — that is through government and industry working together, sharing appropriate information as true partners.”
While at the summit, Mr. Obama signed an executive order promoting greater information-sharing between private businesses and the federal government. The order also makes it easier for the Department of Homeland Security to share relevant classified information with companies.
Mr. Obama cited last year’s cyberattack on Sony Pictures as an example of the type of threat industry and government must work together to confront.
“These attacks are hurting American companies,” he said. “This is also a threat to America’s economic security.”
Several major U.S. companies, such as Bank of America and Walgreens, on Friday committed to using a set of cybersecurity standards developed by the Obama administration. The president said even greater cooperation will be critical in the years to come.
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“We’re going to be smart and efficient and focus on what each sector does best and then do it together,” he said.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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