Obama to create White House cybersecurity post

By Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said he will name a White House-level czar to coordinate government efforts to fight an epidemic of cybercrime, which even touched his presidential campaign.

"Cyberspace is real and so are the risks that come with it," said Obama in remarks Friday at the White House in which he discussed threats to the nation's digital infrastructure from organized crime, industrial spies and international espionage.

Obama said he would name an official to coordinate cybersecurity policies across the government and organize a response to any major cyber attack.

"I'm creating a new office here at the White House that will be led by the cybersecurity coordinator. Because of the critical importance of this work, I will personally select this official," said Obama. "This official will have my full support and regular access to me."

Obama said his administration would not dictate cybersecurity standards for private companies but would strengthen public-private partnerships and invest in research to develop better ways to secure information infrastructure.

He also stressed the importance of privacy. "Our pursuit of cybersecurity will not -- I repeat, will not -- include monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic."

Holes in U.S. cybersecurity defenses have allowed major incidents of thefts of personal identity, money, intellectual property and corporate secrets. They also allowed a penetration of Obama's campaign.

"What isn't widely known is that during the general election hackers managed to penetrate our computer systems," said Obama. "Between August and October, hackers gained access to emails and a range of campaign files, from policy position papers to travel plans."