What was the motive behind the secret directive on
cybersecurity? Information recently was leaked to the press and
quickly became public about a classified presidential policy
directive, PPD-20, that was signed by President Obama just weeks
before the presidential election. This is the latest leak of
sensitive or classified information, and it has many people
wondering if we have lost our ability to keep a secret. While
details are scarce, the general consensus of experts and of the
reporting community is that this executive order established the
rules of engagement when it comes to cyberattacks on the United
States. The directive is said to set forth a set of standards
that are to be used as a guide for the response and operations
of federal agencies to confronting cyber threats. Sources report
that offensive and defensive cyber actions are defined in detail
for the first time. Integral to these standards is a set of
definitions and thresholds or lines for cyber conflict, which if
crossed would constitute an