Following a spate of cyber-attacks on key US corporations, President Obama announced at the Federal Trade Commission Offices on Monday, what we have been saying for years, more has to be done to keep the internet, and the information on it, secure.
Within his speech, Obama stated that cyber safety will be a key focus for his 2015 administration, emphasizing the following areas:
- Greater access to free credit scores for the American people – giving them the ability to identify possible financial fraud much earlier
- Proposed implementation of a federal bill – which will require all companies to disclose to customers within 30 days if their data has become vulnerable due to a hacking incident
- A complete block on the use of data generated under the remit of ‘educational purposes’ – being used for commercial purposes
- Issuance of guidelines on the way energy companies can share personal information on the use of energy – within the home.
But, if Obama has his way, this legislation is going to go even further
It will mean a full reprisal of the Consumer Privacy Bill Of Rights across the country, with greater consumer control over how information is used and stored for those companies that sign up to the agreement.
But at the same time, the regulation will also provide the US Government with even greater levels of access to private sector information and offer them even more powers in the name of cyber-criminal prosecution.
The Threat Builds
With names such as Sony, Microsoft and even the Pentagon Twitter Feed recently feeling reeling from online assault, following attacks on the likes of Home Depot and Target last year, it is clear that the leader of the free world cannot stand aside and watch while the cost of Cybercrime continues to climb.
In 2014 alone, it is estimated online criminal activity could have cost the Global economy as much as $575 billion, with the US taking a significant chunk of this.
But what are the chances of the President’s propositions actually coming to fruition?
The Backlash Against Big Brother
Every time the federal government, in any guise, attempts to tighten the legislation surrounding cyber protection by giving themselves more access to online data, there is a backlash from civil liberty campaigners. Especially following recent revelations about just how much access the US have to our private data.
And this time, Obama is even trying to coerce the Republicans in to supporting him to ensure his bill goes through.
As the President has said himself, ‘Cyber-threats’ are an urgent and growing danger’ and by using Easy Hide-VPN as an individual or corporation, you are doing your bit to protect your own device and the information it communicates.
But when it comes to the information that is out there in the World Wide Web, and what happens to your data when it sits within it, that is a much bigger issue and one that Obama himself, is now pledging to address.