White House Tech Experts Focus on Digital Infrastructure Security

Two top White House technology experts, speaking at a seminar on "The Future of U.S. Digital Infrastructure," emphasized the primacy of security and privacy protections as critical to future build-outs and upgrades of digital infrastructure. They and their fellow panelists also offered various perspectives on the evolving competitive landscape, including the role that Google Fiber and emerging wireless broadband technology will play.

Federal chief information officer Tony Scott cited the "relentless pressure" for "digital development." But he suggested that industry is short-sighted just to "put stuff in and leave it until it breaks." He singled out the push for Internet of Things services, warning that today's system is "not designed for the kinds of cybersecurity issues [we'll] face." Thomas Kalil, deputy director of policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, urged federal agencies and departments to rethink their propensity to cling to legacy systems. The systems in place at agencies and departments aren't going to last forever, and government needs to adopt a cycle of constant refresh, Scott said.