SOTA 2015 Aftermath

President Barack Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union Address to the entire world. I had predicted that President Obama would address certain plans regarding cyber security, identity theft, and increased high-speed broadband connections around the country. I was shocked while watching, that I had covered a lot of the same points that he did. Though I did not go as in depth as the president did, in my opinion my predictions were right. Surprisingly, cyber security and privacy was one of the first issues that was covered while discussing national security during the address.

When I wrote the blog post a week ago, I had only hoped that the president would further persuade Congress to pass some kind of bill to ensure cyber security, and he did. President Obama has previously addressed the call for cyber security legislation in the 2013 State of the Union Address, but the most recent plea easily outdid any previous cyber mention. “If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable,” Obama said. “If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.”

I had predicted President Obama would cover the topics of cyber privacy within the homes of American families, and he did just that. I strongly agreed with one of the statements that President Obama stated regarding the privacy of our children. “No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids," Obama said. Technology has become such a major part of today’s society, and it is sickening to think that anyone could invade our homes and spy on our families and children.

The proposals regarding cyber security include certain measures to facilitate cyber-threat information sharing between the private and public sectors, to protect student data, raise the punishments for cyber-crime, and to create a federal breach notification standard and nationwide cyber defense standards.

I had predicted the infamous Sony Pictures hack would definitely be addressed by the president in this year's State of the Union Address, given that it was the largest proof that America needed cyber security more than ever. North Korean hackers allegedly wiped the film’s studio computers, released internal documents, emails, and made violent threats that almost caused the cancellation of a big-budget comedy release. The incident caused a major uproar and led to a full-scale government investigation. President Obama said, “We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism.” I completely agreed with this statement. I think it is time we fight back, and let them know that we cannot be stepped on.

I believe takes the effort of every American when it comes to cyber security. The attention now turns to the American lawmakers to introduce its legislative offerings. “Tonight I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s information.”

I predict President Obama’s proposal to enhance cyber security information sharing between the government and the private sector will be his biggest issue. This offering would provide limited liability protections for companies sharing cyber threat indicators with the Department of Homeland Security.

The White House has insisted that it will exchange with a wide-range of lawmakers in both parties to achieve its cyber goals. President Obama reiterated that the administration can’t go at it alone when it comes to cyber security.