Obama announces creation of "cyber czar" job

Friday, President Obama confirmed our earlier report and announced the creation of a new cyber security coordinator post that will oversee the securing of “America’s digital infrastructure.” The person who takes this new post will report directly to the President and have his full support and consultation.

“Our technological advantage is a key to America’s military dominance,” he added. “But our defense and military networks are under constant attack. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have spoken of their desire to unleash a cyber attack on our country — attacks that are harder to detect and harder to defend against.”

Obama insisted that, while there are plans to increase cyber security and ensure that American infrastructure is safe, the plans do not include domestic spying, a subject that made Americans very uncomfortable under the Bush administration’s security policies. The U.S. military is also creating a new division called Cyber Command to protect U.S. government and private networks.

This announcement comes after a 60-day review of government cyber security, which was published earlier this week and made available on the White House website. President Obama will personally select the new cyber security coordinator.

Source: CNN
Photo: Flickr

Obama's new cyber judge

President Barack Obama’s choice for U.S. Supreme Court justice is apparently well versed in cyberlaw. Tuesday, President Obama named Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice David Souter. Her experience with technology issues, particularly those related to the Internet, is most likely not a coincidence.

According to Wired Magazine, she has made rulings on copyright of digital material, Internet privacy, disputes between Netscape and its customers, and many others.

“If confirmed, she will be the first justice who has written cyberlaw-related opinions before joining the court,” the TechLaw blog wrote.

Later today, Obama is expected to announce who will take the position of “cyber czar” to head his new task force that will deal with network security. The appointment of Sotomayor will undoubtedly play a role in pushing through whatever agenda Obama has planned for the U.S. cyber relations with the rest of the world, especially with the latest developments in the ICANN oversight dispute.

Source: Wired
Photo: Whitehouse.gov

Senators urge NTIA to monitor ICANN-government relationship

We previously reported that U.S. government oversight of ICANN will soon come to an end on September 30, and arguments have spewed from all sides within and outside of the U.S. Many countries, including those that make up the European Union, called for the formation of an international oversight coalition of nations. Next, the CEO of ICANN chimed in and gave his opinion: that the organization had surpassed the need of any formal government oversight and should essentially become an independent international entity.

Now, U.S. officials have added their view of the situation, and a group of senators are urging Commerce Secretary Locke and Assistant Secreatry-Designate Larry Strickling to monitor the ICANN-U.S. government relationship. The senators are concerned that ICANN’s reach and the efficacy of its activities would diminish if the link with the U.S. Deparment of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is completely severed.

In a letter to Locke, Senators Olympia Snowe, R-Maine and Bill Nelson, D-Fla, urged Locke to monitor the situation and suggested that they extend the Joint Project Agreement (JPA). Strickling did not specify whether the Obama administration had decided to extend the agreement but did say that they would continue to be involved with ICANN in some capacity.

“Regardless of whether the JPA is terminated, modified or extended, it is my belief that NTIA will continue to be an active participant in ICANN by representing the United States government in ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee as well as filing comments, as needed, in ICANN’s various public consultation processes,” Strickling said.

Source: nextgov