Still No Cybersecurity Czar
It seems even one of the federal government's top technology officials doesn't know when the Obama administration will announce its choice for White House cybersecurity coordinator. Asked Thursday following a Senate Budget Committee hearing when the White House will announce its pick, federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra said he did not know when it would happen but is "highly confident that we will see an individual named" to the post. Would it happen before the end of the year? "I hope so," he said.
It's been nearly seven months since President Obama announced his intention to name a high-level adviser - who would report to the president - to help coordinate the federal government's efforts to protect its computer networks and encourage the private sector to do the same. When asked about the status of the post, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said in an e-mail response that cybersecurity remains "a major priority for the president," adding that the administration is moving forward on some of the key issues identified by the "top-to-bottom" cybersecurity review conducted earlier this year.
As far as when this person will be named, Shapiro would only say that the "president is personally committed to finding the right person for this job" and "a rigorous selection process is well underway." Earlier this fall, speculation had focused on former Clinton administration Defense Department official Frank Kramer. The Center for Strategic and International Studies' James Lewis said it appears Kramer may be out of the running.
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Cybersecurity
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