Washington: US President Barack Obama has announced a new cyber security push for the US government to secure the nations computer networks.
"It's now clear this cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation. It's also clear that we're not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country," he says.
And, that's why Obama has unveiled a cyber security plan. The White House will soon have a cyber security office and Obama himself will appoint the person who will head it. The President has called for a new education campaign to raise public awareness of the challenges and threats related to cyber security
"This new approach starts at the top, with this commitment from me: from now on, our digital infrastructure -- the networks and computers we depend on every day -- will be treated as they should be; as a strategic national asset. Protecting this infrastructure will be a national security priority," Obama says.
Officials have grown increasingly alarmed as US computer networks are constantly assailed by attacks and scams.
Says cyber security expert James Lewis of Centre for Strategic and International Studies: "We've been hacked so many times by so many people, we may as well just put a sign up outside of the country saying, 'Open for Business.' It's really bad."