“The White House’s acting cybersecurity czar announced her resignation Monday, in a setback to the Obama administration’s efforts to better protect the computer networks critical to national security and the global economy,” Siobhan Gorman reports for The New York Times. “The resignation of Melissa Hathaway, Barack Obama’s choice to monitor the nation’s online security, is a blow for the administration, which had made the position a priority.”
“The resignation highlights the difficulty the White House has had following through on its cybersecurity effort… Obama first outlined his cybersecurity plans in a high-profile speech May 29, announcing his intention to create a top White House cybersecurity post — a position he has yet to fill,” Gorman reports. “Melissa Hathaway, who completed the Obama administration’s cybersecurity review in April, said in an interview that she was leaving for personal reasons… People familiar with the matter said Ms. Hathaway has been ‘spinning her wheels’ in the White House, where the president’s economic advisers sought to marginalize her politically.”
Gorman reports, “Ms. Hathaway had initially been considered a leading contender to fill the cyber post permanently. She lost favor with the president’s economic team after she said it should consider options for regulating some private-sector entities to ensure they secure their networks, said cybersecurity specialists familiar with the discussions. Being a holdover from the Bush administration didn’t help either, they said.”
Gorman reports, “Cybersecurity experts inside and outside the government heralded Mr. Obama’s May 29 speech, but since then, several people have turned down offers for the job. ‘It’s almost like the system has become paralyzed,’ said Tom Kellermann, a former World Bank cybersecurity official who served on a commission whose work influenced the White House’s cyber planning.”
“In recent weeks, new front-runners have emerged, including a former Clinton assistant defense secretary, Franklin Kramer, and Howard Schmidt, a former top security officer at eBay Inc. who has served on several presidential cybersecurity panels,” Gorman reports. “Ms. Hathaway said she took her name out of the running two weeks ago. ‘I finished what they asked me to do,’ she said, noting she has set up and staffed the bulk of the cybersecurity office.”
More details in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jen” for the heads up.]
*Yawn* Anything in the article about Macs?
The Obama Administration: Lots and lots of talk, some exceedingly expensive, naive, and foolhardy moves, and very little productive action.
Yes, JadisOne the fact that there are so many security holes from all the PC with Windows OS has created the only possible solution. The need to chuck the Windows turds and get Macs! It is time!
Chuck the clunker PCs and get Macs!
A paralyzed government agency. That’s a first.
@Superior Being:
The Bush-Cheney Administration: Lots and lots of bravado, some exceedingly expensive, naive, and foolhardy moves, very little productive action, a decimated economy, a lot of people dead, a lot more poor and jobless, and none of us safer than we were 8 years ago.
“*Yawn* Anything in the article about Macs?”
No, but it mentions the “O” word and that’s good for 2 pages of hate speech from “Real Americans”
Nicely said, Tommy Boy
@Tommy Boy
when you feed him, he only grows more annoying.
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“…Being a holdover from the Bush administration didn’t help either, they said.”
No kidding. No wonder she can’t handle the position. The O administration actually has high standards and expectations, the kind of which no Bush admin member could ever handle!
I wish the rest would resign.
Relax – didn’t Obama run a community center? I’m sure he will do just fine.. We know he can spend our money..
@dudicus… if you hate the US government as much as the NeoCons and their ilk. The best way to kill the government and prove how useless and wasteful it is is to appoint completely incompetent people and destroy it from within.
yeah, Bsh took what $450 billion? from social security that would be ‘returned later’, remember that legacy when you can’t afford to retire. Maybe you’ll be working as a 72year old cartboy at my local supermarket.
dudicus,
Who’s Obama’s defense secretary again?
That’s right: Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration.
Time to cue up my DVD of Die Hard 4.
Now this total asshat of a president needs to resign. As bad as that imbecile Jimmy dumbass Carter
Could it be a coincidence that Eric Schmidt resigned yesterday? Maybe, maybe not.
But I predict his name gets floated for the Tech Czar position in 5…4…3…2…
Perhaps the important part of the article has been overlooked:
It were MrO’s economic(!) advisors who objected to her, and the next candidates are from the internet-biz and security.
When you now consider the efforts and bullying by US agencies to monitor all financial transactions – worldwide! (read up on the SWIFT matter!) – you might get the idea that this Goldman-Sachs admistration isn’t anywhere near as interested in regulations to protect the rights of citizens as in increasing control and insight into worldwide economics.
The ultimate industrial espionage..
Uncle Sam is at it just like always, and that nice law professor from Chicago, with his humanistic speeches, is just the perfect cover-up. Under Bush it was oil. Now it is the financial wizzard control freaks who run the show.
Awful perspective!
@ mike_in_helsinki
Mike, it’s great to know that the loyal readers of MDN can ALWAYS count on you to make a disparaging comment about Obama in just about ANY context… post after post after post after post after post…. <yawn>
Can we make this go three pages?
Hey, let’s look at the good news for today.
Slick Willie gets a jet ride back with a couple of hot oriental reporters….
Or is it Asian-American? Far-eastern?
Doesn’t matter. I’m sure some white American will be offended.
It’s worse than you can imagine. Google: The Obama Deception
Christ. America has czars now?
Alex Jones looks more and more right as time goes on.
From history class I remember that czars were dictators. So now America has dictators? I thought we were a federalist constitutional republic. Damn, guess all my school knowledge has become outdated in the few years I’ve been out.
@amyhr
Czars weren’t dictators but monarchs …. just as slight difference, which your school apparently didn’t explain too well.
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This blurring of distinctions appears to be at the root of all those US drug czars, etc.
remember:
Those who do not know any history
will force the rest of us to repeat the worst of it.