Residential Fellow at the Center for Internet and Society Chris Ridder is quoted in a PC World article about the presidential candidates and privacy issues on the Internet:

"Whether it sways votes or not, privacy and security are two critical issues we face," said Chris Ridder, a residential fellow at Stanford Law's Center for Internet and Society.

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The candidates shouldn't just be talking about these issues as a way to appeal to people concerned about them; the government does have an important role to play in online security, Ridder said. "The government sees cybersecurity as a national security issue and an infrastructure issue and I think it's tremendously important not only from a military perspective but also from keeping people safe from crime," he said.

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"I think we're seeing pretty much any military engagement will have some sort of cyber-components," Ridder said. "Any president who wants to emphasize military credentials ought to be concerned with protecting this critical infrastructure."

While McCain emphasized the role of industry self-regulation to promote security and privacy for online users, that's a method to be used carefully, Ridder said. "There needs to be a critical look at the evidence and see where [self-regulation] is working and where it's not and where it's not there is room for appropriate privacy regulations," he said.