“Howard Schmidt, a former Microsoft security executive and a one-time cybersecurity adviser to President George W. Bush, has been appointed to the position of cybersecurity coordinator, according to a White House announcement on Tuesday,” Zetter reports. “In his new position, he will be responsible for coordinating the federal government’s cybersecurity initiatives to secure government networks and U.S. critical infrastructures. This will include working with the Office of Management and Budget to ensure that agencies have money allocated for cybersecurity priorities, and coordinating the government’s response to a major cyber incident or attack.”
“According to the Associated Press, Obama was directly involved in the selection of Schmidt, who was chosen after an extensive search,” Zetter reports. “But the announcement of Schmidt came with little fanfare on Tuesday and followed months of reports from other candidates that they either turned down the job or otherwise discouraged the White House from courting them.”
“Last May, Obama announced he was creating a new office to be led by a cybersecurity czar,” Zetter reports. “For nearly a year, however, he could find no one to take the job, due to what many viewed as its undesirable placement in the federal hierarchy.”
“Schmidt, Microsoft’s chief security officer until 2001, is the second former Microsoft executive to take a top federal cybersecurity position,” Zetter reports. “Last March, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appointed Philip Reitinger to the position of deputy undersecretary of the department’s National Protections Program Directorate.”
“Reitinger was Microsoft’s chief trustworthy infrastructure strategist, a job that required him in part to help develop and implement strategies for enhancing the security of critical infrastructures,” Zetter reports. “In his new position, he oversees the protection of the government’s computer networks and works with the private sector to help secure critical infrastructures.”
Zetter reports, “There have been concerns about how the White House intends to address cybersecurity issues, particularly in the private sector, and protect civil liberties at the same time.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Who’s next, Balloon Boy to head up NORAD?
Given their record in the security area, I don’t know why anybody would buy from them. – Richard A. Clarke, former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism, commenting on Microsoft, February 17, 2005
OMG… Thats the dumbest move I’ve seen yet. DUMB! DUMB! DUMB!
If you plan to buy any Apple produces this holiday season, don’t click through on this site unless you believe in the Neocon, Obama hating politics MDN pushes on a regular basis.
Funny how you right wingers give a pass to one of the most progressive, left wing people in American business, Steve Jobs!
Obama is like a prizefighter who gets everyone riled up and behind him. Then he gets into the ring and does nothing accept collect his paycheck. I was a lifetime democrat and I don’t like Obama one bit. And now I’m not a democrat any longer as all of his promises have turned out to be complete lies.
But voting Republican, you might as well give all your taxes away to the socialism military industrial complex. Oh, wait, if you vote democrats that what you get as well?
Remember folks this is all about class. The top 1 percent own it all and Obama, like Bush is the same man accept Bush was a much better leader. At least he took sides, Obama sits there like a pansy assed idiot, says one thing and does another, classic democrat pussy..
Maybe the guy is qualified, and is not personally responsible for the decades of Windows flaws?
Maybe he KNOWS about the most serious threats, BECAUSE he has worked with them before?
Maybe it’s OK to have a black president? One who actually makes smart decisions instead of acting macho and winning the support of idiots? One who is making headway solving the massive problems Bush and his corporate cronies caused? One who upholds American values instead of trashing them while hiding behind them like the Republicans do?
Maybe people can think for themselves instead of letting right-wing radio do it for them?
Nah.
How many of Bush’s czars were:
a) Yes men
b) Corporate shills
c) Hypocritcal “Christians” who cheated on their wives
d) Good ol’ boys
e) Underqualified
f) Complete failures when put to the test
And tell me how homosexuality is relevant, please?
I tell you, the right wing loonies are only getting loonier. It’s kind of fun to watch the train wreck.
@dave smith
You got it right. The top 1% rule this country since it’s inception. Globalization only means that they want more. Our government officials are simple managers that can be disposed, if they don’t do there job right. Which is to keep that 1% at the very top. Democracy is an illusion where the fool everybody in to thinking they have a say as to how things are ran. But everything is O.K. because the next bubble is starting to go again, but this time, when it blows, it will really be a lot worse than the past two prior times. With out manufacturing, what does America stand for? It seems making movies and weapons.
“Artist
If you plan to buy any Apple produces this holiday season, don’t click through on this site unless you believe in the Neocon, Obama hating politics MDN pushes on a regular basis.
Funny how you right wingers give a pass to one of the most progressive, left wing people in American business, Steve Jobs!”
OK. Call yourself a Marxist if you support The One.
And oh yeah, I dump on Jobs, too. Being the commie you are, I suppose you dislike Jobs because of his elitest, expensive products. Me too. But for another reason – the man’s a snob. Pretty common trait of the poor and insane like yourself.
Yeah, America, freedom of speech…unless you don’t support The One.
“Mac-nugget
@dave smith
You got it right. The top 1% rule this country since it’s inception. Globalization only means that they want more. Our government officials are simple managers that can be disposed, if they don’t do there job right. Which is to keep that 1% at the very top. Democracy is an illusion where the fool everybody in to thinking they have a say as to how things are ran. But everything is O.K. because the next bubble is starting to go again, but this time, when it blows, it will really be a lot worse than the past two prior times. With out manufacturing, what does America stand for? It seems making movies and weapons.”
Suppose you think Marxism is any different? Get a life. At least under this farce of “Liberty,” ie Federalism, more have the opportunity to live a comfortable life.
Also suppose you’d prefer living in trees of light, flying beasts that don’t exist, ala Avatar.
And it’s “their” you moron, when talking about people, or possession, not a place.
“@ Josh
How many of Bush’s czars were:
a) Yes men
b) Corporate shills
c) Hypocritcal “Christians” who cheated on their wives
d) Good ol’ boys
e) Underqualified
f) Complete failures when put to the test
And tell me how homosexuality is relevant, please?
I tell you, the right wing loonies are only getting loonier. It’s kind of fun to watch the train wreck.”
Hahahhahahahha…they gonna’ wreck it right up your a**!!!!!!
Commie basturd.
“Toasty
LOL, I love how folks are all up in arms over the czars. They were perfectly fine under Bush, but Obama appoints some and its a national tragedy. I’m not choosing one side or the other, but make up your mind people. Good lord!”
Pay attention: When Bush did it, the Dems and their MM press corps howled like bitches.
Once again, “a lot of political nonsense in the air.”
Ignorance is not bliss. Generalizations are proof of ignorance.
“Mr. Reeee
@Josh
Gee, you spout ditto-headed Fox-based talking points so well.
Do you ever think for yourself?”
Do you, Mr. Reese? Not spouting that ol’ White House policy of attack-Fox-at-all-costs party line, are you.
Two names for you:
Mo
Ron
But no soup!
“Obama appoints former Microsoft security chief new cybersecurity czar”
We’re totally F*CKED now.
Goes to show you the depth of computer ignorance in our society. How ironic that just this morning I was listening to computer security expert Steve Gibson, of Security Now podcast fame, extoll the virtues of Windows. I quote:
“Windows is a steaming pile of crap.”
http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-192.txt
I recently wrote a couple essays about the incompetence of the NSA (National Security Agency) here in the USA:
http://mac-security.blogspot.com
I don’t see US federal computer security improving with this new dimwitted ‘cybersecurity tsar’ appointment. Here we are China! Open for hacking.
Further Steve Gibson discussing Windows with Leo Laporte:
“… You mentioned last week, Leo, that the electrical power grid of this country has been taken over, and essentially there’s spyware that’s been installed, apparently, the news reports say, by China and Russia. I haven’t reported much on that here because not much is known, I mean, not much is known publicly. I’m sure that our intelligence community has much better information about that. But again, what you find when you look is that these systems are running Windows. Somebody built some nuclear reactor control system on top of Windows. Which is just like, oh, my goodness. It’s inexcusable.”
Another wast of money “Czar”
More proof that Obama is a fool!!
… I thought I was on an Apple news site.
Will you please stop posting these non Apple news stories so these idiot right wing trolls will go away.
“auramac
Once again, “a lot of political nonsense in the air.”
Ignorance is not bliss. Generalizations are proof of ignorance.”
Actually, everyone here is generalizing. It’s only a proof of laziness and emotion. To attack one as ignorant…well, I’ll let some smarter than I make the point:
“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
— William Shakespeare (As You Like It)
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”
— Abraham Lincoln
An anonymous douche named ‘Josh’ wrote:
“This decision follows the now established tradition of Barack Hussein Obama making the lamest conceivable appointments to his already unconstitutional “czar cabinet”.”
I hope ‘Josh’ becomes literate. Then maybe he could read the article, as in:
“Howard Schmidt, a former Microsoft security executive and a one-time cybersecurity adviser to President George W. Bush….”
So much for the Neo-Con-Job scumbags doing any better. Hopefully “Josh” will also read the US Constitution where he will learn that the President has the right to create a cabinet.
“Josh” might also take a marketing course so he understands the verbal meaninglessness of ‘csar’ positions in the presidential cabinet.
He also might be able to read this history of the position of ‘csar’ in the US federal executive branch. The term was first used by President HW Bush in 1988 for the new cabinet position of ‘Drug Csar’, as described in this article:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/president-to-do.html
He might also, with his new comprehension skills, realize that when he is listening to HATE MEDIA performers prattle the Neo-Con-Job line about ‘unconstitutional czar’ presidential appointments, he is listening to nothing more than the usual decrepit bullsh*t propaganda that is inherent in anything political. Nothing new, nothing sane, reliable, honest, reasonable, fair or balanced.
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And maybe, just maybe, “Josh” will get the clue that there is no such thing as a decent politician, of any party. Not gonna happen.
ROTFLOL. How can you do anything else. Or maybe just shake your head ith disbelief. Amazing. Only in America….
Will you please stop posting these non-Apple news stories so these idiot left wing trolls will go away.
@Handsome Smitty
WTF side are you on? You’re all over the place.
I love Steve Jobs, and all Apple products. Steve Jobs an elitist? Far from it. His main focus is on making the world a better place by making better products. He may be a Billionaire many times over, but if he only cared about the money, he’d probably be the richest man in the world.
Handsome Smitty all I’m saying is that both parties cater to the very wealthy. And they use the population as pawns against one another. Obama has proven this to me.
It’s not about republicans vs democrats any longer. It’s about getting the 1 percent of the population and shaking their damn heads until money comes out from them.
You change things by doing, not by moving to some other hell hole outside the United States.
“there is no such thing as a decent politician, of any party”
Nor, apparently, the ability to place into advisory power anyone with any real competence.
We’ve been voting in lockstep for Democrats for 60 years and the vast majority of us remain on food stamps, are in jail, in public housing, and/or under the poverty line.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
Black people should be voting Conservative. We don’t need handouts and dependency, we need to set ourselves free to achieve much, much better and more fulfilling lives.
Obama wants to do the same old, same old: Keep us down, so we’re dependent on the government and therefore vote for a Democrat party offering handouts instead of hand-ups.