President Obama names new cyber czar
Back in March, Rod Beckström, the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber-security chief, resigned. Not long after, President Barack Obama announced that he would create a new "cyber czar" to help protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks. The announcement was made around the same time a 40-page report was released detailing the issues that the czar would need to tackle. With cyber crime at an all-time high, Obama made it clear that he was issuing a mandate for a more-universal approach to cyber security across the private and public sectors.
But some technology experts grew frustrated as months passed and no cyber czar was named. Earlier this week, it was finally announced that Howard Schmidt, a former Microsoft executive and Bush Administration official, would take on the position.
Schmidt has specialized in computer security and forensics as an investigator for the FBI, the Air Force and local law enforcement. He was vice chairman of a domestic security board and a special advisor to the White House under former President George W. Bush.
In the private sector, Schmidt held executive positions related to cyber-security at Microsoft and eBay and most recently served as president of a nonprofit information security consortium.
That consortium is called the Information Security Forum, a non-profit group established in 1989 to develop effective strategies in information security. The group has hundreds of members, including several Fortune 500 companies from around the world.
In a video statement posted on the White House website, Schmidt said that he brought 40 years experience in government, business, and law enforcement.
"The president has directed me to focus on several priority areas," he said in the video. "Developing a new comprehensive strategy to secure American networks, ensuring an organized, unified response to future cyber incidents, strengthening public/private partnerships here at home and international partnerships with allies and partners, promoting research and development of the next generation of technologies, and leading a national campaign to promote cyber security, awareness, and education."
He said that he's committed to bringing all these stakeholders together around a new comprehensive cyber strategy "that keeps America secure and prosperous."