Government said to be making larger strides in cybersecurity

Leaders at the highest levels of the federal government are moving forward with a range of cybersecurity programs and initiatives, according to a National Security Council official.

And while much work remains, the efforts are beginning to bear fruit. Michael Daniel, special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator at the NSC, highlighted progress in a number of initiatives including short-term, medium-term and long-term plans. “Right now cyberspace seems to favor the intruder, and this setup makes defense a losing game,” Daniel said Sept. 26 at the INSA Cybersecurity Innovation Symposium in Washington. “We’re pursuing a lot of activities designed to make cyberspace inherently more secure; we’re changing the game to one that’s actually in our favor. There’s a lot we can do in this, and we’ve got a lot of efforts going on.” The progress is most clearly visible in the coordination between federal agencies, which Daniel noted has improved in recent months.