Exec Orders on Cybersecurity Due Tomorrow

President Obama's hotly rumored executive orders to beef up cybersecurity for companies operating America's critical infrastructure are coming tomorrow morning, sources tell the Hill. Obama is expected to mention cybersecurity briefly in tonight's State of the Union address, as he did in last year's; but, with Congress failing to pass legislation last year, analysts think Obama could press the issue with executive orders.

Security experts say there's no time to wait with America's critical infrastructure, such as water plants and the electric grid, vulnerable to attack. But executive actions are only a piece of the puzzle: They can't grant new powers or authority to federal agencies, which means that Congress will still have to act. “We need comprehensive cybersecurity legislation,” says a White House cybersecurity director. Click for more on China's cyberattacks on the US. (More cyberattack stories.)