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Obama 'to order' firms to share data with government Obama to urge tech firms to share data with government
(about 1 hour later)
US President Barack Obama and Apple's Tim Cook are among the speakers at a cybersecurity summit on Friday. US President Barack Obama will ask tech firms to share more information with security services and each other to tackle cybercrime.
The meeting at Stanford University in California will bring together industry and law enforcement. The White House confirmed today the President would do so ahead of a cybersecurity summit bringing together leading industry and law enforcement figures.
It follows Obama's launch of an intelligence unit to co-ordinate analysis of cyber-threats. Besides Mr Obama, Apple's Tim Cook is also due to speak at the conference.
Top Google, Yahoo and Facebook executives turned down invitations.
A rift has appeared between the President and senior industry figures over his calls for them to hand over more data.
According to a White House statement, the President would sign an advisory executive order encouraging the setting up of information sharing and analysis organisations (ISAOs) to help firms and government to share material on potential threats.
It will also develop a common set of voluntary standards for the organisations to follow, including the protection of civil liberties, the White House said.
Mr Obama has also launched an intelligence unit to co-ordinate cyber-threat analysis.
A senior member of Britain's National Crime Agency is also due to appear, along with executives from Microsoft, Facebook and Google.A senior member of Britain's National Crime Agency is also due to appear, along with executives from Microsoft, Facebook and Google.
Mr Obama "wants to build support for efforts to better protect against cyber-threats and share more information about cyber-attacks", the White House said.
The figures are appearing at a White House summit, but one that the president has chosen to hold in Silicon Valley, rather than in Washington DC.The figures are appearing at a White House summit, but one that the president has chosen to hold in Silicon Valley, rather than in Washington DC.
But the most senior executives at Facebook, Yahoo and Google will not be attending, the companies - along with Microsoft - having sent their information security executives instead. Facebook, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft have all sent their information security executives to the conference.
According to Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg and Marissa Mayer - chief executives of Facebook and Yahoo, respectively - and Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt all declined invitations.According to Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg and Marissa Mayer - chief executives of Facebook and Yahoo, respectively - and Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt all declined invitations.
There were reports that Mr Obama, who will be joined at the summit by top US security officials, was planning to call on those tech firms and others to share more information with law enforcement, potentially placing him at odds with the companies.
One report suggested that he intended to issue an executive order directing government and private firms to share more data in the interests of cybersecurity.
"We are certainly hearing that an executive order may be announced," said Nuala O'Connor, president of the technology lobbying group Center for Democracy and Technology, who was due to attend the conference.
SurveillanceSurveillance
Obama's cybersecurity push follows similar efforts by the British prime minister David Cameron, who said in January that forms of communication that are resistant to surveillance measures should not be allowed.Obama's cybersecurity push follows similar efforts by the British prime minister David Cameron, who said in January that forms of communication that are resistant to surveillance measures should not be allowed.
His comments were interpreted as a direct attack on encrypted communications, such as Apple's FaceTime and Microsoft's Skype, among others.His comments were interpreted as a direct attack on encrypted communications, such as Apple's FaceTime and Microsoft's Skype, among others.
The conference, which will also focus on how to protect consumers online, is taking place in the aftermath of the hacking scandal that hit Sony Pictures and which the US authorities blamed on North Korea.The conference, which will also focus on how to protect consumers online, is taking place in the aftermath of the hacking scandal that hit Sony Pictures and which the US authorities blamed on North Korea.
America and China have also taken more aggressive stances towards each other over cybersecurity recently, with the USA charging a series of Chinese people with hacking last year.America and China have also taken more aggressive stances towards each other over cybersecurity recently, with the USA charging a series of Chinese people with hacking last year.
SecuritySecurity
The French authorities beefed up their security efforts after claiming to have detected attempts to launch cyber-attacks in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks. And just this week the Dutch government fell victim to a distributed denial of service attack, which took many of its websites down by flooding them with traffic.The French authorities beefed up their security efforts after claiming to have detected attempts to launch cyber-attacks in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks. And just this week the Dutch government fell victim to a distributed denial of service attack, which took many of its websites down by flooding them with traffic.
Announcing the summit last month, Mr Obama said cybersecurity was a "challenge that we can only meet together".Announcing the summit last month, Mr Obama said cybersecurity was a "challenge that we can only meet together".
"It's going to bring everybody together - industry, tech companies, law enforcement, consumer and privacy advocates, law professors who are specialists in the field, as well as students - to make sure that we work through these issues in a public, transparent fashion," he said."It's going to bring everybody together - industry, tech companies, law enforcement, consumer and privacy advocates, law professors who are specialists in the field, as well as students - to make sure that we work through these issues in a public, transparent fashion," he said.
He is due to address the conference at 19:15 GMT. Besides Mr Cook, other speakers include Google vice-president Eric Grosse, Facebook chief information security officer Joe Sullivan and his Yahoo counterpart Alex Stamos.He is due to address the conference at 19:15 GMT. Besides Mr Cook, other speakers include Google vice-president Eric Grosse, Facebook chief information security officer Joe Sullivan and his Yahoo counterpart Alex Stamos.
Microsoft vice-president Scott Charney and chief executives from Visa, MasterCard and American Express will also appear.Microsoft vice-president Scott Charney and chief executives from Visa, MasterCard and American Express will also appear.