President Barack Obama called for better cybersecurity in his State of the Union address Tuesday, urging Congress to pass legislation that will improve computer protection.
“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids,” Mr. Obama said.
“If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable,” he continued. “If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.”
Congressman John Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, said Congress has been engaged in the cybersecurity debate for some time, “even if the President has just recently revived his interest on the issue.”
“The President has a troubling history of politicizing matters of national security,” Mr. Ratcliffe said. “I sincerely hope that with regards to cybersecurity he is serious this time.”
The president’s statements come the same day the third member of an international hacking ring pled guilty to stealing more than $100 million in intellectual property.
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Nathan Leroux, 20, of Bowie, Maryland, pled guilty to hacking into systems for the Xbox One gaming counsel and assorted video games.
Security officials have become increasingly concerned about cyber attacks, especially following a well-publicized attack at Sony Pictures.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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