Codebreaker

Obama to Country: BE VERY AFRAID!

Stacey Vanek Smith Jul 20, 2012

So I kept thinking this was a hoax written by an overly enthusiastic Ray Bradbury fan, but nope. The President of the United States wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal explaining how a cyber attack could totally take down our country’s infrastructure. including THE WATER WE DRINK and the train we take to work.  He made the point that cyber-security is a priority for his administration and that companies and individuals should all be vigilant:  “The American people deserve to know that companies running our critical infrastructure meet basic, commonsense cybersecurity standards, just as they already meet other security requirements. Nuclear power plants must have fences and defenses to thwart a terrorist attack. Water treatment plants must test their water regularly for contaminants. Airplanes must have secure cockpit doors. We all understand the need for these kinds of physical security measures. It would be the height of irresponsibility to leave a digital backdoor wide open to our cyber adversaries.”
A revised version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 was introduced to the US Senate on 20 July. The act would create a council that will oversee US cyber-infrastructure and protect it against attack. also protect privacy and civil liberties.  Also. I’m sticking to juice for awhile.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.