Obama proclaims October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The comprehensive bill remains on hold because Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has yet to settle the long-standing dispute over which federal agency should have authority over private sector cybersecurity. There is also disagreement over how much authority the White House should have to shut down private sector networks in the event of a cyber emergency; the White House has asserted that it already has that authority under a 1941 provision in the Communications Act.

The industry group TechAmerica is holding a kick-off event on Monday in Seattle that will feature White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt and Department of Homeland Security deputy secretary Jane Holl Lute. Other companies such as Facebook have promised big announcements later this month.