[ISN] Cybersecurity resignations raise questions

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:21:59 -0500 (CDT)
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/key-cybersecurity-staff-quit/

By Shaun Waterman 
THE WASHINGTON TIMES 
August 13, 2009

The resignation last week of two of the government's top cybersecurity 
officials has raised questions about President Obama's much-touted 
effort to fix policy for defending the nation's computer networks.

Officials say the decisions by Melissa Hathaway of the National Security 
Council and Mischel Kwon of the Department of Homeland Security are not 
related, but some observers have linked them to suggest the White House 
is faltering in its effort to implement a new cybersecurity strategy and 
appoint a high-level national coordinator for the issue.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, chairman of the House 
Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement he was "troubled with 
the apparent loss of momentum on cyber-security, an issue that is 
critical to our national and economic security." Former officials said 
the resignations, though their timing was coincidental, were indicative 
of the strain on top cybersecurity staff.

"This says a lot about the barriers and negative job conditions that 
cyber-security professionals within the U.S. government face," said 
former Department of Energy cybersecurity official Eugene Schultz in an 
e-mail posting for the SANS Institute, an industry nonprofit that does 
research and education on computer security.

[...]


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Received on Fri Aug 14 2009 - 02:21:59 PDT

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