(CBS News) – The federal government can’t protect your cyber data by itself.
That’s why President Obama is expected to unveil executive actions Friday designed to increase information sharing among private sector companies and federal law enforcement.
At a cybersecurity summit to be held on the Stanford University campus Friday, Obama will announce initiatives to form organizations that will gather, share and analyze information, as well as ease access to cybersecurity threat information for corporate entities. The executive order is also expected to enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better manage the flow of information into the government.
The administration says strengthening the federal government’s capabilities is becoming increasingly necessary to protect American consumers.
“Cybersecurity and consumer protection are two sides of the same coin,” Obama’s economic adviser, Jeff Zients said, in a briefing with reporters. “When a company invests in strong cybersecurity, they are protecting not just their own networks, but in most cases their customers’ information and security as well.”