Comments on: Three views on Pres. Obama’s delayed selection of cybersecurity czar http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/ on Internet security by Byron Acohido Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:38:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Torsten George, Vice President Worldwide Marketing, ActivIdentity http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/#comment-739 Torsten George, Vice President Worldwide Marketing, ActivIdentity Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:46:34 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=2767#comment-739 Considering that this month, the federal reserve chairman himself became a victim of identity theft -- one of the fastest growing crimes in the world -- it appears that implementing a cybersecurity coordinator to help enforce national policy in regards to cybersecurity and addressing protecting individual digital identities should be as much a national priority as healthcare reform. We hope the president moves swiftly to find the right person to lead this critical initiative. Considering that this month, the federal reserve chairman himself became a victim of identity theft — one of the fastest growing crimes in the world — it appears that implementing a cybersecurity coordinator to help enforce national policy in regards to cybersecurity and addressing protecting individual digital identities should be as much a national priority as healthcare reform. We hope the president moves swiftly to find the right person to lead this critical initiative.

]]> By: John Prisco http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/#comment-738 John Prisco Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:28:23 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=2767#comment-738 As the CEO of a privately held security company, I was very interested when I heard that security was a presidential priority, and I almost allowed myself to get excited when I heard that there would be a cyber security Czar answering to the President. But in the months that have passed since that original announcement, I have become increasingly concerned that security has taken a back seat to other initiatives and that it won't become a priority again until it's too late -- How often did any of us hear the Executive Office talk about the health of the Banking industry before last September's meltdown? These three individuals make great points. As a citizen and a security professional, I have made my opinion known over and over - we need to centralize our nations cyber security and put the power of the President behind it. Whoever takes this position needs the authority, background, and guts to do what needs to be done. Although there have been great strides, we need to further improve relations between the private and public sectors. We need to share information and we need to focus on the greater good, so that we can stop the next cyber attack. The longer this post remains vacant, the longer the government's security efforts continue to follow the status quo. Our President acknowledged months ago that we need to make a change, but to date, the biggest change continues to get delayed. Maybe its because no one wants it, because the role has not been positioned to succeed. Regardless of the reason, we need a cyber security leader now, and we need the president to make this a priority again. John Prisco CEO, Triumfant As the CEO of a privately held security company, I was very interested when I heard that security was a presidential priority, and I almost allowed myself to get excited when I heard that there would be a cyber security Czar answering to the President. But in the months that have passed since that original announcement, I have become increasingly concerned that security has taken a back seat to other initiatives and that it won’t become a priority again until it’s too late — How often did any of us hear the Executive Office talk about the health of the Banking industry before last September’s meltdown?

These three individuals make great points. As a citizen and a security professional, I have made my opinion known over and over – we need to centralize our nations cyber security and put the power of the President behind it. Whoever takes this position needs the authority, background, and guts to do what needs to be done. Although there have been great strides, we need to further improve relations between the private and public sectors.
We need to share information and we need to focus on the greater good, so that we can stop the next cyber attack. The longer this post remains vacant, the longer the government’s security efforts continue to follow the status quo. Our President acknowledged months ago that we need to make a change, but to date, the biggest change continues to get delayed. Maybe its because no one wants it, because the role has not been positioned to succeed. Regardless of the reason, we need a cyber security leader now, and we need the president to make this a priority again.

John Prisco
CEO, Triumfant

]]> By: Phillip Dunkelberger - CEO of PGP Corporation and Chairman of TechAmerica's Cybersecurity CxO Council http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/#comment-737 Phillip Dunkelberger - CEO of PGP Corporation and Chairman of TechAmerica's Cybersecurity CxO Council Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:40:55 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=2767#comment-737 Thank you Byron for bringing this issue to the table. The relentless cyber-attacks experienced by both the private and public sectors represent a clear and present danger to both our security and economic recovery. Without leadership in place, it is impossible to make material progress on securing the nation’s strategic cybersecurity assets. The agenda in Washington will be dominated by healthcare and financial regulatory reform and defense for the remainder of the year. However, we cannot afford to allow the nation’s cybersecurity needs to languish while we focus on these key issues because cybersecurity is integral to each of them. We now know that we can't have real healthcare reform with securing patient data. We can't rationalize the financial regulatory environment without deploying security measures that can be effectively audited for compliance. And we really can't protect the nation from enemies "foreign and domestic" without vastly improving the security of the defense community's cyber-infrastructure. For all of these reasons I add my voice to the rising chorus respectfully asking for rapid, decisive action in appointing a cybersecurity coordinator. Thank you Byron for bringing this issue to the table. The relentless cyber-attacks experienced by both the private and public sectors represent a clear and present danger to both our security and economic recovery. Without leadership in place, it is impossible to make material progress on securing the nation’s strategic cybersecurity assets. The agenda in Washington will be dominated by healthcare and financial regulatory reform and defense for the remainder of the year. However, we cannot afford to allow the nation’s cybersecurity needs to languish while we focus on these key issues because cybersecurity is integral to each of them. We now know that we can’t have real healthcare reform with securing patient data. We can’t rationalize the financial regulatory environment without deploying security measures that can be effectively audited for compliance. And we really can’t protect the nation from enemies “foreign and domestic” without vastly improving the security of the defense community’s cyber-infrastructure.

For all of these reasons I add my voice to the rising chorus respectfully asking for rapid, decisive action in appointing a cybersecurity coordinator.

]]> By: Stanton Sloane http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/#comment-736 Stanton Sloane Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:27:37 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=2767#comment-736 Thanks Byron for sharing a good cross section of views. I still maintain that without the power to drive change, the cybersecurity czar will be a czar in title only. To succeed, he/she will need the power of the federal purse, the mantle of diplomatic authority and – as reported - inside access to the White House. He/she will have to be a big-picture planner and a credible voice to industry. Let’s get it done. Thank you again for keeping this important topic on our radar. Dr. Stanton Sloane SRA International CEO Thanks Byron for sharing a good cross section of views. I still maintain that without the power to drive change, the cybersecurity czar will be a czar in title only. To succeed, he/she will need the power of the federal purse, the mantle of diplomatic authority and – as reported – inside access to the White House. He/she will have to be a big-picture planner and a credible voice to industry. Let’s get it done. Thank you again for keeping this important topic on our radar.

Dr. Stanton Sloane
SRA International CEO

]]> By: Scott Cleland http://lastwatchdog.com/views-pres-obamas-delayed-selection-cybersecurity/#comment-735 Scott Cleland Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:29:13 +0000 http://lastwatchdog.com/?p=2767#comment-735 Great post. Cyber-security remains an under-appreciated urgent priority. The reality remains that bad actors can wreak more damage with less effort in they virtual world than bad actors could ever hope to achieve in the physical world. Great post. Cyber-security remains an under-appreciated urgent priority. The reality remains that bad actors can wreak more damage with less effort in they virtual world than bad actors could ever hope to achieve in the physical world.

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