“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.]