President Obama has created an executive order to crack down on cyber threats. For some reason, this order went largely under the radar and hasn’t been the topic of much conversation. But, there are many good reasons why it’s important to know what’s contained in the executive order.

Why? It may impact you directly in one way or another. It’s also a realistic look at the future of governments and the safety of nations. Obama, for one, is not sitting back and waiting for an attack to happen.

The Breakdown

The CyberSecurity executive order commands all private businesses that are linked to public infrastructure to disclose all cyber threats and hacks in real-time to the White House. Last year, Obama attempted to pass a similar order, but Republicans who did not want the government peeking in on private business affairs blocked the order. However, Obama feels that it is important for private businesses to disclose any hacker information or cyber security threats.

The White House is recognizing the threat that comes with increased cyber exposure. As governments and small businesses that are linked to public wellbeing go under attack regularly, the White House is looking to fight back by taking extra measures against cyber hacks.

Seemingly, the White House perceives cyber threats as all too real. Whether or not the U.S. Government is facing some serious cyber attacks has yet to be seen, but Obama wants to know when a company that is linked to public infrastructure comes under attack. This way, the government can then, hopefully, fight back.

Types of Attacks On the Horizon

It’s no secret that most government threats now happen in less of a James Bond mode and more of a cyber mode. Taking down a government these days means hacking into government computer systems. Were a terrorist group able to infiltrate major public businesses, cyber attacks could be a threat to life as we know it. In a recent speech, Obama told press that the did not want to look back on the day that the U.S. came under cyber attack and realize that he did nothing. This is, to say the least, a preemptive measure.

There are mixed feelings about whether or not Obama’s executive decision is a good one. Some believe that Obama should not have gone this route, while others see the sense in acting defensively towards cyber attacks. From this point on, though, private companies that fit the bill will have to disclose any hacks or cyber threats. In the meantime, the best way to keep your company from becoming vulnerable is to make sure that your system security is up to date.

While you can’t prevent cyber attacks from happening, you can make sure that these attacks are few and far between. Reports this morning state that Republicans are working on a response to Obama’s order, though no concrete news has been reported just yet. Presumably, businesses that do report attacks will be given a first line of defense against attackers, and attackers will be reprimanded by the government before it is too late.