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White House Offers Glimpse at 'Einstein' Cyber-Security Initiative

by Terrence O'Brien on March 3, 2010 at 03:10 PM

Details of the plan are still top secret, but we the American public have gotten our first glimpse of the federal government's cyber-security initiative. A five-page overview of the goals and components of the Comprehensive National Cyber-Security Initiative (CNCI) has been posted on WhiteHouse.gov.

The initiative's measures include consolidating government networks and access points, increasing cyber-research and development, improving cyber-security education, and connecting the various cyber-operations departments through a government-wide plan. But perhaps the most significant part is the deployment of Einstein 3, a so-called "anti-aircraft weapon" for cyber-attacks. Einstein has the ability to detect, thwart, and alert officials to intrusions in real time.

There is some controversy surrounding the newest version of Einstein and the government's plans to use it -- largely due to the heavy involvement of the NSA, which is still regarded with suspicion after the unauthorized wiretaps of the Bush administration. Adding to the unease, the report briefly mentions extending the cyber-security initiative to cover "critical infrastructure," which could include privately owned Internet, telephone, and power lines.

Members of Congress and the House Intelligence Committee have raised serious questions (PDF) about the veil of secrecy draped over the cyber-security initiative, and, while the White House outline is a step in the right direction, it likely won't satisfy staunch advocates of government transparency and individual privacy.

You can read the five-page outline of the CNCI here, and decide for yourself whether or not the government is in danger of crossing that fine line between providing security and violating privacy. [From: White House and CNET]

Tags: BarackObama, CyberSecurity, defense, einstein, Einstein3, government, nsa, privacy, security, top, WhiteHouse

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