John McAfee’s Presidential Campaign Prioritizes Cybersecurity Matters

In case you haven’t noticed it is an election year.  One of the issues on the campaign trail that I feel is not getting enough attention is that of cybersecurity.  John McAfee has an approach that few other candidates have expressed.  He even has a solution on the FBI’s dilemma with the San Bernardino shooter’s iphone.

I agree with McAfee that the United States is largely illiterate when it comes to cyber awareness, but after getting more acquainted with McAfee’s platform on cybersecurity, I feel like it is the most comprehensive.  When attacks on the scale of what took place with Office of Personnel Management for two years without detection, the public needs assurances that it can’t happen again.  The only other candidate that I feel made a concerted effort to mention cybersecurity was Jim Webb, but he’s is no longer in the running.

According to a recent interview with McAfee in Black Enterprise Magazine, the Libertarian candidate doesn’t feel the FBI has the expertise to unlock the phone and forcing Apple to do it only makes the nation more vulnerable.  “If they [the FBI] can’t decrypt it, they can go to a private security company.” He says the consequences for Apple complying with the government agency’s demand could be dire.  “The problem with putting in a backdoor into the software…the Chinese can find it, the Russians can see it…it makes us totally defenseless,” McAfee says.

This view is quite contrary from the rest of the political establishment and a bit refreshing to hear.  Although I am still undecided as for who I am going to vote for this election year, McAffee’s insights give me much to think about in terms of America’s cybersecurity future.

Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer for USA TODAY