Tech-Savvy Obama Emphasizes Importance of Cyber-Security

Known to many as the first President with access to email, tech-savvy Obama initiated another digital first on Friday, announcing the creation of a new post – Cyber Security Coordinator.

Having often been called the first technologically-savvy President (thanks in part to a staunch fight to keep his Blackberry while in office), the President’s campaign successfully leveraged many forms of social media and technology to garner support and fuel votes. Now, the White House blog, weekly video address (fed promptly to a YouTube channel) and presence on multiple social sites including , MySpace, etc., are used to keep people informed and engaged on the President’s daily activities.

In displaying his willingness to reach out to a new generation of digitally-savvy citizens, Obama took a major step in bringing the issues of digital technology to the forefront nationally.

The creation of this position, which will oversee “a new comprehensive approach to securing America’s digital infrastructure”, and the efforts of the President and his team have taken this issue to yet another level. And with the number of cyber attacks on the government and private networks increasing exponentially, now is the time for the US to form a unified, strong and educated front when it comes to digital security.

The President has stated the importance of protecting against a “weapon of mass disruption”. And disrupt us it could! Cyberspace doesn’t just provide us with a place to post our Tweets – the entire logistical function of our nation rests on a digital foothold. As Melissa Hathaway, Cybersecurity Chief at the National Security Council, described on the White House blog Friday: “These networks deliver power and water to our households and businesses, they enable us to access our bank accounts from almost any city in the world, and they are transforming the way our doctors provide health-care.”

The President’s actions have suggested that he understands the crucial importance of cyberspace in the daily lives of all Americans. It looks like he “gets it”, and his actions and those of his team will hopefully insure that other leaders begin to get it as well. Hopefully a national dialogue and collaboration from leaders in the tech community and digital experts will help to make this effort a successful one, allowing us all to rest a little bit easier, PDAs in hand.

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