The U.S. government plans to establish a new agency to address cyber threats.
After a tide of security breaches in 2014 and early 2015, President Barack Obama included cybersecurity as one of his focuses for his 2015 agenda. The new agency will be called the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, according to the Washington Post.
The new division will pull information and resources from the cybersecurity sectors of other government agencies, such as the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. It is modeled after the National Counterterrorism Center, which was created amid rumors that the government had failed to share information that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
The main focus of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center will be to analyze potential risks based on information contributed by the private sector. Because cyber threats primarily target energy, health and other privately-run enterprises that are critical to the nation's functions, according to the Washington Post, the agency will depend on a steady stream of data and a closer relationship with those companies, Matthew Olsen, a former NCTC director, said in the report.
The president will issue a memorandum officially creating the center, allotting $35 million for its budget and 50 staff members.