Obama declares digital infrastructure strategic national asset

Washington, May 30: Observing that terrorists are using cyber space and modern means of communication in carrying out attacks, including in the case of Mumbai carnage, President Barack Obama has announced measures to strengthen cyber security in the US.

Obama said the US has failed to adequately protect the security of its computer networks and announced that the digital infrastructure would now be considered and treated as a strategic national asset.

"Protecting this infrastructure will be a national security priority. We will ensure that these networks are secure, trustworthy and resilient," Obama said yesterday.

"We will deter, prevent, detect and defend against attacks, and recover quickly from any disruptions or damage," he said.

The announcement comes following the conclusion of a 60-day review of US' cyber security ordered by Obama in February.

"Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have spoken of their desire to unleash a cyber attack on our country, attacks that are harder to detect and harder to defend against," he said.

"The terrorists that sowed so much death and destruction in Mumbai relied not only on guns and grenades, but also on GPS and phones using voice over the Internet," Obama said. PTI