Obama signs executive order urging companies to share cybersecurity info

U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order Friday urging companies to share cybersecurity threat information among themselves and with government.

The executive order encourages the creation of information sharing and analysis organizations (ISAOs), which may be formed as for-profit or non-profit entities, to improve cybersecurity collaboration.

Such organizations "play an invaluable role in the collective cybersecurity of the United States," Obama said in the order.

He also directed in the order the Department of Homeland Security to fund the creation of a non-profit organization to develop a common set of voluntary standards for ISAOs.

"Developing this baseline will enable ISAOs to quickly demonstrate their policies and security protocols to potential partners," the White House said in a background statement.

"This will make collaboration safer, faster, and easier, and ensure greater coordination within the private sector to respond to cyber threats," said the statement.

The White House also said the order complements the administration's January legislative proposal that wants companies to share more information about cyberattacks with the government as well.

The order is part of the Obama administration's efforts to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity defenses. Earlier this week, Lisa Monaco, Obama's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, announced the formation of a new agency called Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center to coordinate cyber threat assessments among existing units. Endite