White House Launches A New Level of Cyber Security

The Obama administration has sought to advance cyber security and digital identity. The most recent is the National Plan of Action Cybersecurity short-term action is requested to enhance cyber security, protect privacy, maintain public safety and empower Americans to take better control of your digital security.

cyber security and digital identity of Obama's efforts are many. It began in 2010 with the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace and its many drivers continue today. This was followed by an executive order in 2014 calling agencies for websites with multi-factor authentication, and finally a draft budget law signed in December requiring federal agencies to implement a platform for trusted identity access of citizens to information.

The National Plan is multifaceted cybersecurity. It calls for the formation of a new position - the head of the Federal Security information - to make these changes through the government. The 2017 federal budget allocates more than $ 19 billion for cybersecurity - an increase of more than 35% of the approved level by 2016. A separate effort is to upgrade existing systems that are difficult to obtain with modern technologies.

"I am encouraged that the administration is direct most of the new investment No new programs" cyber ", but rather to replace the systems within the government that are so outdated existing IT not insurable" said Jeremy Grant, CEO Chertoff Group . "It makes more sense to shift resources to try to protect the first systems architecture in 1978 and replace them with modern systems that can actually be safe."

Beyond this time he has received some attention. "You can bolt an airbag in a '78 Corvette, but it will not be pretty and it will not be very effective - and the same thing to try to block the modern protections obsolete systems," says Grant, "begins this . budget to move the discussion - away from specific software that are layered on top of her and the former security buy cooked from scratch. "

Specifically named in the plan is the ability to allow consumers to switch from multi-factor authentication:

"Empowering Americans to secure their online accounts moving beyond passwords and adding an additional layer of security. By judiciously combining a password with other factors such as a fingerprint or a unique code to use in a message delivered text, Americans can make their accounts more safely. This emphasis on multi-factor authentication will be at the center of a new national campaign to raise awareness about cyber security launched by the national cyber security Alliance to arm consumers a simple and concrete to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world information. the member of the National Alliance Cybersecurity with technology companies like Google, Facebook, Dropbox and Microsoft to make it easier for millions of users to secure their online accounts , and financial services companies such as MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Venmo and are safe transactions. In addition, the federal government will take the necessary measures to protect personal data in online transactions between citizens and government, including through a new action plan to promote the adoption and use of test methods and strong identity effective for multi-factor authentication and systematic review of the federal government in which the federal government can reduce the use of social security numbers as identification of citizens. "

In conjunction with the news White House, the National Cyber ​​Security Alliance announced the expansion of its education under the auspices of STOP. THINK. CONNECT. This will support measures to raise public awareness of the role of the individual in cybersecurity.

NCSA has announced a new education project of multi-factor authentication with logical operations, CompTIA and New Horizons. The organizations have partnered to bring STOP. THINK. existing in CONNECT tour entitled "Get two steps ahead: protecting your digital life" Visit to 15 or more cities this year. These individual sessions provide information on cybersecurity directly to local communities where participants learn how to enable multi-factor authentication and why it is an essential tool in online security for all Americans.

There are still questions as to how all this will happen. "It's good on the side of the identity of seeing the White House reiterates the need to accelerate the adoption of important multi-factor authentication and identity proof to digital services for citizens federal government face as he became the President in October 2014 decree, "says Grant.