White House considers executive action to address cybersecurity

White House chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said the Administration is considering exercising executive authority to impose cybersecurity mandates after lawmakers failed to adopt legislation to implement those measures. Those options include President Obama possibly introducing several cybersecurity measures via presidential executive orders.

"We will see what we can do ... the critical infrastructure of this country is under threat" by cyberattacks from state and non-state actors, Brennan said during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. Brennan and other administration officials argue the United States cannot afford to abide by congressional timelines to get cybersecurity mandates in place, especially while U.S. government and commercial networks are under continued attack. "We have to improve our [cyber] defenses in this country," Brennan said. "We cannot wait."

Separately, Rep Ed Markey (D-MA) said, “I’m calling on President Obama to do by Executive Order what Congressional Republicans refuse to do through legislation: protect our nation from the 21st century cyber-armies preparing to wage war on our banking, health care, and defense systems by knocking out America’s electricity grid.” He accused Republicans of putting business interests ahead of the country’s defense in blocking the Cybersecurity Act in the Senate. “Congressional Republicans once again have shown their legislative agenda to be one big I.O.U. – Insurers, Oil companies, and Utilities. … The moneyed minions behind Citizens United have driven Republicans to prioritize the interests of the wealthiest corporations over America’s national security,” he said.