Obama Breaks the Silence

In a major speech on national security yesterday at Purdue University, Barack Obama highlighted the need to face new threats and not continue “fighting the last war.” Loose nukes, bio-terrorism, and cybersecurity were the three themes.

The fact sheet accompanying the speech included a set of strategic proposals (see below) that address both privacy and security in a balanced fashion. These proposals bear careful evaluation, but clearly suggest a broader scope than the current administration’s “Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative.”

The encouraging news is that the most visible leaders in both parties, Bush (no word from McCain) and Obama, have officially recognized the critical national need to invest in cybersecurity. Obama’s engagement in the topic is real, as related in a very readable first-person account of the event by Purdue’s Gene Spafford, executive director of CERIAS, the cybersecurity center of excellence referred to by Obama. At this rate, the Nation may actually be able to get ahead of this continually evolving threat to the very assets that make us competitive and strong in the world.

For more details on the proposal, see my blog on Government Futures.