Obama taps Bush official to head cybersecurity review
The White House announced Monday that Barack Obama has instructed his national security advisors to begin a comprehensive 60-day review of federal cybersecurity initiatives as a prelude to developing an integrated strategy that will coordinate security efforts across government agencies, and between the public and private sectors. The effort will be led by Melissa Hathaway, previously a senior advisor to the Bush administration's Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell. Upon completion of the review, Hathaway is reportedly in line for the new post of cybersecurity "czar" in the Obama White House.
Hathaway, a former consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, played a lead role in developing the Bush administration's Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative as chair of the interagency National Cyber Study Group. In previous published writing, she praised Bush-era cybersecurity efforts, but stressed the need to do far more to combat burgeoning threats to US data infrastructure. Her formal title during the current review will be Acting Senior Director for Cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security Councils.
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