Only when the outrage gets loud enough to affect their chances for reelection (which happens with a lot of issues, just not this one).
Unfortunately, Hackernews seems to be the only place where security is taken seriously. Probably because we understand the severe collective risks involved to everything from banking to healthcare whereas most people as individuals don't care if say, their credit card number is stolen, since they aren't liable for fraud. It's hard to see the bigger picture if you aren't technical.
I don't think it's fair to say only this website takes it seriously, though perhaps this website is a good cross-section of people that do seem to take it seriously. You can also find those people on reddit, twitter, lesswrong, IRC, etc.
The question is, who's failing to make the whole WORLD care about it? Or at the very least, the politicians? I can count on shitty lobbyists at least ensuring that, like, the economy doesn't fucking burn us alive, because they lose money when that happens. Why aren't the fatcats also getting that about netsec? If the NYSE gets hacked, they stand to lose a lot of money. If someone opens the hoover dam gates through a hack, that's a lot of money lost. We can ignore the morality and privacy issues, and just speak their $$$language$$$ here, and it still doesn't make a lick of sense that politicians aren't eviscerating Equifax right now.
So, are we supposed to like, lobby sense into their heads? I mean, why? Because we're patriots? I guess?
Then again I've got motorcycle riding friends in Houston that don't wear their helmets, and I still have to force people in my backseat to buckle up sometimes, so I don't even know. Why don't people take any kind of safety seriously?
Unfortunately, Hackernews seems to be the only place where security is taken seriously. Probably because we understand the severe collective risks involved to everything from banking to healthcare whereas most people as individuals don't care if say, their credit card number is stolen, since they aren't liable for fraud. It's hard to see the bigger picture if you aren't technical.