San Francisco: The White House has pulled back
the curtain on portions of a secret US cyber defence strategy
crafted during the administration of former president George W
Bush.
White House Internet security coordinator Howard Schmidt
described bits of the strategy at the RSA cybersecurity
conference here, saying the revelation was part of a promise
of transparency by President Barack Obama.
Parts of a Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative
(CNCI) declassified by Obama became available online Tuesday
at whitehouse.gov/cybersecurity.
"We can't ask industry to help government and government
can't help industry if we don't have transparency," Schmidt
said while making the announcement.
"It gives the American people the ability to partner with
their government."
Scott Charney, Microsoft corporate vice president of
Trustworthy Computing, was among those that welcomed the idea
of the government being more forthcoming with cyber defence
information.
"The public-private partnership is in need of improvement;
it always has been," said Charney, who was head of computer
crime prosecution at the Justice Department from 1991 to 1999.
"It seems the government has moved from a phase of
consideration to a phase of action, and that is a good thing."
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 22:16