White House Orders New Computer Security Rules

A look at the week of October 9 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the White House ordered a review of policies regarding classified information.  A Republican task force has developed cybersecurity recommendations that could be acted on in the upcoming year.  The House Homeland Security subcommittee held a hearing to examine the security implications of cloud computing.


White House Orders New Computer Security Rules — The White House issued an executive order to replace a flawed patchwork of computer security safeguards exposed by the disclosure of hundreds of thousands of classified government documents to WikiLeaks last year. The order by President Obama culminates a seven-month government-wide review of policies and procedures involving the handling of classified information, and recommendations on how to reduce the risk of breaches, says the New York Times.


Republicans Urge Incentives for Cybersecurity — A Republican task force in the U.S. House of Representatives said Congress should give companies incentives to boost their cyber defenses, but that tougher regulation may be warranted to protect critical facilities like power and water plants, reports Reuters. Recommendations in the report can "reasonably be acted upon during this Congress," which ends in January 2013, said the task force of 12 Republicans headed by Representative Mac Thornberry (R-TX).


House Panel To Examine Cloud Computing Security — According to the National Journal, the House Homeland Security subcommittee heard testimony from a panel of government and industry officials on the security implications of cloud computing systems. With White House backing, federal agencies are increasingly looking to cloud networks, which store information in remote data centers rather than onsite. Proponents say cloud computing has the potential to save money and streamline government IT programs, but concerns over security continue to dog the technology.