[ISN] Obama Faces Delicate Decision as Cyberattack Fears Rise

http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/obama-faces-delicate-decision-as-cyberattack-fears-rise-20120823

By Josh Smith
NationalReview.com
August 23, 2012

At the height of the economic crisis in 2008, Saturday Night Live’s 
“Weekend Update” comedy news show rolled out the character Oscar Rogers 
as a faux financial commentator. His advice on how to restore the 
economy? “Fix it! It needs to be fixed! Now!”

Four years later, lawmakers are grappling with a cybercrisis, and 
despite rising concerns, legislative debates over how to secure U.S. 
networks and infrastructure have often resembled nothing so much as 
Oscar Rogers yelling “Fix it!”

Now, with Congress looking unlikely to act anytime soon to fix 
vulnerabilities in the nation’s computer systems that leave them open to 
cyberattacks, President Obama is weighing the pros and cons of using an 
executive order to do what Congress hasn’t.

Experts in government and industry alike report a tide of attacks aimed 
at stealing information from individuals, companies, and government 
agencies, potentially making a strong case for presidential action.

Further bolstering the case are warnings from top national-security 
officials that a catastrophic attack on a critical system like those 
that run energy grids or chemical plants could cause damage to the 
economy or even loss of life.

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