Google Data

Posted by Harry Wingo, Policy Counsel

As the world becomes more and more connected, a cyberattack on any nation's critical infrastructure -- its telecommunications system, electrical grid, and banking network -- could pose as serious a threat to its security as an attack carried out by a bomber or conventional forces.

With that in mind, today the Obama Administration announced the creation of a cybersecurity director and released the findings of its 60-day cyberspace policy review, offering recommendations on steps the United States government, working with the private sector, should take to guard critical networks from harmful attacks.

Strong partnerships and open lines of communication between government and the private sector will be the key to protecting critical networks. As the report explains, the "public and private sectors' interests are intertwined" when it comes to cybersecurity. Government agencies are in a unique position to help companies identify attackers' targets and methods of operation, while companies can share expertise and best practices for guarding private networks and protecting the privacy of user data.

We support the Administration's goal to make the Internet safer and more secure, and we look forward to continuing our work with policymakers, software developers, security experts, and our users to help do just that.