That responsibility transcends the jurisdictional purview of individual departments and agencies because no single agency has a broad enough perspective to match the sweep of the challenges, she said at the San Francisco gathering of high-tech and security experts. Hathaway also said dealing with tech threats requires "leading from the top" -- from the White House, to departments and agencies, state, local, tribal governments, the "C-suite," and to the local classroom and library. "The White House must lead the way forward with leadership that draws upon the strength, advice and ideas of the entire nation," she said in prepared remarks provided to the press.

The federal government cannot entirely delegate or abrogate its role in securing the nation from a cyber incident or accident, Hathaway said, emphasizing the importance of private sector support. "The public and private sector's interests are intertwined with a shared responsibility for ensuring a secure, reliable infrastructure upon which businesses and government services depend," she said. Hathaway closed with a bit of humor: "I almost forgot, this speech will now self-destruct, but don't worry... this is the Internet-age, there are already hundreds of copies which you can download online."

What, if any, retaliation will be shown as a deterrent to internationally launched attack vectors? As of now, there is no stated or widely shared consequence for an attack on US networks;  making our efforts, in the public eye, appear completely defensive. Cyber hacking is done with perceived impunity.

I understand the need for Melissa Hathaway and the administration to be circumspect. With the raging debate on torture, options for and decisions about responding in kind to an enemy is under extreme review.