[ISN] Obama, White House To Oversee Cybersecurity Leadership

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 00:03:15 -0500 (CDT)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/federal/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700171

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
May 26, 2009 

President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced the White House will create 
a new directorate or position within the executive branch to deal with 
cybersecurity, under the direction of the National Security Advisor.

The new cybersecurity directorate or position would be part of a new 
group of advisers called the National Security Staff -- consolidated 
international and homeland security support staff -- that would report 
to the National Security Advisor, the president said. As news of 
government cybersecurity concerns, including intrusions into the power 
grid and sensitive Air Force technical systems information, reaches a 
crescendo, experts have increasingly called for better cybersecurity 
leadership, with many proposing White House roles.

Obama is expected to announce the top post Friday, May 29, following a 
complete review of the federal government's cybersecurity policies and 
procedures. It isn't clear what, if any, authority the cybersecurity 
chief will have over private networks.

"It's the White House that can be the referee, the traffic cop, the 
carrot and stick, the one trying to make sure the efforts are organized, 
and that's the right kind of role for a central authority on this 
subject," Bruce Brody, chief security officer for The Analysis Group, 
said in a recent interview, when asked about the possibility of more 
centralized authority for cybersecurity.

[...]


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Received on Tue May 26 2009 - 22:03:15 PDT

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