Cyber Security Staff Appointed by DHS

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» 04 June 2009

Cyber Security Staff Appointed by DHS

Janet Napolitano, the Secretary for the United States DHS (Department of Homeland Security), has assigned Philip Reitinger as the current NCSC (National Cyber Security Center) director, replacing predecessor Rod Beckstrom, who relinquished his job earlier in 2009 because of alleged territorial wars against other agencies.

The DHS released a statement on Monday reporting that Reitinger will be tasked with integrating, analyzing, collecting, and sharing cyber security news and information among related federal agencies. His qualifications include his other post as the deputy undersecretary of the NPPD (National Protection and Programs Directorate) at the DHS and his former job as a Microsoft Corporation cyber security executive.

Reitinger's appointment was one of the DHS's three important staff announcements related to cyber security. Napolitano also chose Bruce McConnell as counselor to the deputy undersecretary at the NPPD (that is, Reitinger's senior advisor), and Greg Schaffer as assistant secretary for CS&C (Cyber Security and Communications).

According to the DHS, McConnell will advise Reitinger in issues involving strategy and policy that's connected to the NPPD. The CS&C, the US-VISIT program (which supplies visa-issuing posts with biometric identification technology), and the office of infrastructure protection are all included with the NPPD. McConnell is also involved in technology matters and information policy as well as a member of the Obama-Biden transition team.

Meanwhile, Schaffer will be assigned the task of guaranteeing that the private and public sector organizations and international partners will work in harmony to stop threats to U.S. interests in the Internet and organizing cyber security efforts across the NPPD. His predecessor, Gregory Garcia, was first given the CS&C assistant secretary post by the former DHS Secretary Michael Chertloff way back in 2006. Furthermore, Schaffer used to be the cyber security executive of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Alltel Communications.

The DHS appointments happened during an opportune period wherein an increasing number of questions are being asked in regards to the DHS's appropriate position and responsibilities on cyber security. The DHS remains the leading agency on all cyber-security-related issues, but it has been constantly condemned and criticized for its failure to live up to that particular role.

Many observers concur that the DHS needs to be authorized to take an operational role when it comes to cyber security. But the very same observers also contend that the job of creating and implementing an all-inclusive national cyber security regulation is the White House's responsibility, hence the presence of lobbyists asking for the creation of a high-level cyber security post. Thankfully, President Barack Obama heeded those requests last Friday.