Obama Takes Aim at Cyber Threats

This video is two minute report of President Obama announcing his new White House position coordinating the nation's digital security, saying the country faces what he called a transformational moment. You can use this to introduce a general conversation, or continue with the analysis of the plan and the challenges of protecting America from hackers and cyber spies. "Our technological advantage is a key to America's military dominance. But our defense and military networks are under constant attack," Mr. Obama said. Overall, the Defense Department reported 360 million attempts to penetrate its data networks last year, up from six million in 2006. And cyber-damage has cost $100 million over six months. Just last April, The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. electrical grid had been hacked as cyber-spies probed the power system and planted software to cause disruptions. Quotes "Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups have spoken of their desire to unleash a cyber-attack on our country, attacks that are harder to detect and harder to defend against."

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Illustrations by Annamaria Ward