Hat Tip: Brian B.

Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans (Hat Tip: Jean Stoner/Brian B.)

STANFORD, Calif. – President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today. It’s “the absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government” to centralize efforts toward creating an “identity ecosystem” for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said. That news, first reported by CNET, effectively pushes the department to the forefront of the issue, beating out other potential candidates including the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

Obama Gives US Commerce Dept. Authority to Oversee Creation of Internet ID’s for Americans