Better cybersecurity defenses require a concerted public-private effort

[Commentary] Cyberattackers are outrunning defenses. The President offered a legislative proposal to encourage the sharing of information about threats between the vulnerable private sector and the US government, and to offer companies some targeted liability protection. Legislation is a start and still a worthy goal. As a practical matter, however, before any legislation can pass Congress, persistent worries about privacy protection have to be debated and addressed. There is a vast gulf of distrust of government. But, as the President said, “Neither government nor the private sector can defend the nation alone.” They have to work together. What’s really needed now is a harder edge to thinking about how to prevent another hack. This analysis needs to find new ideas and methods for creating effective defenses against cyber-attacks. It has to come not only from Congress and the White House but also, dare we say, from the US military and intelligence agencies, and from all institutions and facets of society that have grown so heavily dependent on digital highways.