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Obama stating its new CyberSecurity plans on friday morning at a White House said “This new approach starts at the top, with this commitment from me: From now on, our digital infrastructure — the networks and computers we depend on every day — will be treated as they should be, as a strategic national asset,” in his briefing in the East Room he said “Protecting this infrastructure will be a national security priority. We will ensure that these networks are secure, trustworthy, and resilient. We will deter, prevent, detect, and defend against attacks and recover quickly from any disruptions or damage.”

Obama noted that cybersecurity is a “matter of public safety and national security,” noting the nation’s reliance on those networks that deliver power and water and run air traffic control.

Although there were no big surprises in Obama’s position or the contents of the cybersecurity review, experts say the tone and stature of the president’s remarks on cybersecurity is the big news. “The fact that he has prioritized it and called our digital infrastructure a national strategic asset has put some political capital behind this,” says Shannon Kellogg, director of government affairs for EMC RSA, who was in attendance at today’s White House briefing.

President Barack Obama will appoint a government-wide cybersecurity coordinator and elevate cybersecurity concerns to a top management priority for the U.S. government. The new cybersecurity coordinator will be a member of the White House’s national security staff as well as the president’s National Economic Council, Obama said. The president also said the office would include a person in charge of ensuring the privacy and civil liberties are protected.

President Barack Obama also said “Our pursuit of cybersecurity will not include – I repeat will not include – monitoring private sector networks or Internet traffic,”