Barack Obama, US president, yesterday lifted cyber-security higher up his administration's agenda as he promised to appoint a White House co-ordinator to oversee policy and effective responses to threats to federal, business and private communications networks.
Mr Obama cited an industry report that put losses from cyber-crime – including industrial espionage and identity theft – at $1,000bn, declaring that the increased dependence on electronic banking and commerce made improved security a matter of economic necessity as well as a key plank of national defence.
“Our defence and military networks are under constant attack,” he said. “Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have spoken of their desire to unleash a cyber-attack on our country – attacks that are harder to detect and harder to defend against.”