Beckstrom Selected As ICANN Chief
It's official! Former Homeland Security Department National Cybersecurity Center Director Rod Beckstrom will become the new president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit group that oversees the Internet address system. ICANN's board approved him for the job moments ago at a meeting in Sydney, Australia. Paul Twomey, who has held the top ICANN spot for six years, announced his departure in March. Beckstrom brings a unique background to the post. In his role at DHS, he cooperated directly with high-level officials at the Justice and Defense Departments, the National Security Council, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Beckstrom left DHS abruptly earlier this year and his resignation letter was published by the Wall Street Journal. In it, he said it was a "bad strategy" to have the National Security Agency play a major role in cybersecurity. Prior to his stint in federal government, he founded and sold two tech companies and helped start a global CEO peace network that initiated diplomatic efforts between India and Pakistan. He also co-authored four books including The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations, which offers advice on analyzing organizations and competitive strategy.
In an exclusive interview with Tech Daily Dose, Beckstrom said his appointment symbolizes a "fresh start" for ICANN's relationship with Congress and the Obama administration. ICANN has faced scrutiny on Capitol Hill in the run up to September's expiration of a formal oversight relationship with the Commerce Department. Lawmakers worry about the group's transparency, accountability and budget processes.Read more about Beckstrom, his outlook for ICANN and the challenges he will face in CongressDaily's latest "Issue Of The Week" feature, which is published every Monday on the TechCentral page.
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