Obama Says Google, Facebook, Microsoft, And Visa Will Provide Extra Layer Of Security To Americans

President Barak Obama recently said “With the help of companies like Google GOOGL +0.15%, Facebook FB +0.20%, Microsoft MSFT +1.23%, and Visa V -1.83%, we’re going to empower Americans to be able to help themselves and make sure that they are safe online with an extra layer of security, like a fingerprint or a code sent to your cellphone.”
Sounds intriguing, but Obama failed to explain exactly what these companies are going to provide – and when. Not to mention that he snubbed Apple – which has sold a cumulative lifetime total of 821.8 million iPhones, according to The Motley Fool.
The President remarked on his new cybersecurity initiatives in the Roosevelt Room at the White House last month. ”More and more, keeping America safe is not just a matter of more tanks, more aircraft carriers; not just a matter of bolstering our security on the ground” said Obama. “It also requires us to bolster our security online. As we’ve seen in the past few years and just in the past few days, cyber threats pose a danger not only to our national security but also our financial security and the privacy of millions of Americans.”
Three major points from Obama were:

1. His budget proposal for the next fiscal year devotes $19 billion to cybersecurity – which is up by more than one-third.
2. Plans to update antiquated federal IT systems – some of which date back to the 1960′s – which the President says are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks.
3. Hiring a first-ever federal chief information security officer (CISO) position who will oversee security and upgrades across all agencies — and interact with the private sector.
Recommended by Forbes

The counter points are:

1. The U.S. government has spent $100 billion on information and cybersecurity over the past decade, and what do we have to show for it? A $14 billion budget was approved last year – when the OPM hack occurred.
2. Some legacy mainframe systems are actually more secure than modern cloud based IT infrastructures. Nonetheless – these types of systems take years to upgrade and they must be protected in the interim.
3. Obama is offering a woefully inadequate salary for the new Federal CISO job which is based in Washington, D.C., D.C. and offers a paltry annual salary range of $123,000+ to $185,000. The current average annual salary for a CISO in D.C. is $225,000, and tops out at $334,000, according to SilverBull, a full-service IT and cybersecurity recruiting and staffing company based in Manchester, Conn.

While Obama is still in office, perhaps he can take the first and best step forward by hiring a deeply experienced federal security chief from the commercial sector. To attract suitable candidates, he’ll have to up the pay to the top end of what more experienced CISOs earn — which means doubling the annual salary.
A new federal CISO should bring clarity to how and when Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Visa will help protect Americans when they are online. These tech firms employ very large and experienced cybersecurity teams who are on the cutting edge of Internet privacy. If fingerprint sensors and sending codes to our cellphones are part of the online privacy plans that Obama has in mind, then he really needs to invite Apple in — otherwise the new CISO had better.       Forbes