Barack Obama calls for stronger data privacy laws

Mr Obama called for legislation that will require firms to inform customers of data breaches within 30 days as well as protect students’ information.

 

He said identify theft and other cyber attacks were a “direct threat to the economic security” of Americans.

 

But shortly after his speech, the Twitter account for the US military’s Central Command was hacked.

 

The attack appears to not have exposed any non-public information but is described as embarrassing for the Pentagon.

 

Mr Obama’s proposals come after a year in which many large US retailers, including Target, Home Depot, Staples and Sears, were hit by cyber-thieves keen to scoop up payment-card data.

 

In a speech previewing his annual State of the Union speech, Mr Obama urged Congress to pass a nationwide law to require firm to inform customers within 30 days if their data has been hacked and make it a crime to sell customers’ identities overseas.

 

Read More: BBC News – Barack Obama calls for stronger data privacy laws