White House is said to create agency to fight cyber attacks

February 10, 2015 at 07:12 AM
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(Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama is creating a new agency to combat cybersecurity threats against the U.S. government and private businesses, according to a senior administration official.

The Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center will coordinate information between various agencies and departments that handle hacking attacks, said the official, who requested anonymity because the information hasn't been made public. It will be announced Tuesday by Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism.

Obama has increased his focus on online threats in recent months as major U.S. companies including Sony Corp. and Anthem Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) had their networks hacked. In October, the administration said it had been the target of threatening activity on its own computer network.

In his 2016 budget, Obama proposed spending $14 billion to combat online threats.

"No system is immune to infiltration by those seeking to steal commercial or government information and property or perpetrate malicious and disruptive activity," according to a White House fact sheet that accompanied the budget on Feb. 2.

The new agency's mission will be similar in nature to the National Counterterrorism Center, which was established to foster better information sharing after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The new agency will provide integrated analysis of foreign cyberthreats, ensure government agencies have access to the latest intelligence, and support efforts to counter foreign cyberthreats, the official said.

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