Federal Eye: Lieberman lays out his cyber security plan

He’s earned headlines, praise and criticism this week for his stance on health care reform, but Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) shifts gears Friday to focus on another long-brewing issue: cyber security.

The Connecticut lawmaker will publicly state for the first time his preference for a Senate-confirmed White House official to coordinate the government’s efforts, and say that the Homeland Security Department should take the lead in protecting most computer networks.

“The federal government has an inherent responsibility to its citizens protect its own networks, but also to work with the private sector and ensure a reliable supply of electricity and water and the continued, orderly functioning of financial, communication and transportation systems,” according to Lieberman’s prepared remarks, to be delivered at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. (See excerpts of the speech after the jump.)

Lieberman will say the government needs the Senate-confirmed cyber security coordinator “to ensure that the classified work conducted by Department of Defense and intelligence agencies is informing the defensive actions taken by our domestic agencies.”

The White House has struggled since its start to recruit and retain a cyber security “czar,” and said just last week that it has yet to pick a candidate.

Continue reading this post and read excerpts of Lieberman’s speech >>>