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Obama’s Next Cyber Directive Couldn’t Be Timed Much Better

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Eric Lieberman Managing Editor
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The Obama administration has approved a new directive that outlines the ways in which they allocate responsibilities for cybersecurity threats, while also ranking the severity.

The directive is anticipated to be announced Tuesday during the International Conference on Cybersecurity in New York this week, according to CNN. The news comes only a day after the FBI announced they are investigating a cybersecurity breach of the Democratic National Committee in which Wikileaks released 2,000 emails days before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The White House devised a grading system for the gravity of the cyber-hack with 6 different “Levels” from 0 to 5, according to The Washington Post. The federal government already has a similar process with the Homeland Security Advisory System that has a chart with five separate degrees for terror threats. It is not yet known how a cybersecurity threat will differentiate or compliment this established methodology.

The new mandate also institutes an organizational hierarchy, which apportions various duties to different agencies. The FBI is the chief facilitator and investigator if the perpetrator is a criminal or another country, CNN reports. The FBI will delegate tasks to the Department of Homeland Security and will collaborate with the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC). The Defense Department is not included in the policy edict.

While the directive is expected to spell out the rankings and spheres of responsibilities for cybersecurity threats, it is not expected to note what the proper response should be, according to The Washington Post.

In remarks acquired by The Washington Post, Lisa Monaco, Obama’s adviser for homeland security, said that responses will be founded on an analysis of the risks. “How might it affect our national security or economy? Does it threaten the life or liberties of American people?” are a few of the guidance questions.

The decree is intended to create a framework for cybersecurity threats, yet it seems that each incident will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

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