The Obama cybersecurity policy initiated a commission report detailing the recommendations needed to secure the American cyberspace, but to actualize these need the support of incoming president Donald Trump, who already vowed to rescind Obama’s executive orders during the campaign. One of the recommendations hold “Internet of Things” product manufacturers to be held accountable for security flaws in their devices that can potentially harm people and the American society.
The Obama cybersecurity policy is the outgoing administration’s response to various cybersecurity threats during the past years, namely, the hacking of Google by the Chinese in 2009, the breach of the Office of Personnel Management and the increase of botnets rising from unsecured Internet of Things devices. Evidently, cybersecurity remains a huge threat that Obama has tasked the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity to conduct a nine-month study of the country’s cybersecurity problems.
Last Friday, Dec. 2, the commission presented a hundred-page report detailing the recommendations and actions that need to be taken to secure cyberspace, which could be an important tool for innovation, prosperity and change, the Wired reported. A summary of the vital Obama cybersecurity policy recommendations are written here.
Security Ratings for Every “Internet of Things” product like nutrition labels
An independent organization like the Cyber Independent Testing Lab can be tasked to provide security ratings to every “Internet of Things” product, just like nutrition labels in grocery items so that consumers will be aware of the dangers they will be facing in buying a product.
Legal Liability of “Internet of Things” Product Manufacturers
For the first time, ‘internet of Things” product manufacturers can be held accountable for any security flaws in their devices, which could bring potential harm to its users.
Cybersecurity Apprenticeship to Create “Cybersecurity Practitioners”
A cybersecurity program open to college students, who wants to be trained in Applied Information Security. The Obama cybersecurity policy hopes to create 50,000 “cybersecurity practitioners” by year 2020.
Congress to Fund Reseach and Development of the Cybersecurity Roadmap
For Congress to provide incentives to government and private sector collaboration particularly in creating a cybersecurity roadmap that will provide cheaper, safer and more usable computer systems. The private sector like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft can contribute immensely to this endeavor, BBC reported.
In a nutshell, the Obama cybersecurity policy recommendations seem to have huge potential, but it may all go to waste if the Trump administration chooses to ignore it. The likelihood of that happening is high since the Trump cybersecurity policy remains unknown, suffice it to say that Trump has vowed to rescind many of Obama’s executive orders during his campaign.
