FCC chief calls for industry to boost cybersecurity

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski called for technology companies to adopt new standards to protect consumers from hackers and spammers.

His proposals focused on voluntary commitments from the private sector rather than government mandates. He emphasized that any cybersecurity measures must protect privacy and the "openness of the Internet." One cybersecurity threat he focused on is the use of "botnets," networks of computers that hackers take over and can use to spam consumers or take down websites. Hacker group Anonymous has used botnets to crash the sites of the Justice Department, the CIA and others. Chairman Genachowski urged Internet service providers to educate their consumers about botnets and help them detect when their computer has been infected.