White House Cyber Meeting Stresses Partnerships

Yesterday, President Barack Obama and several key officials met with members of the private sector to discuss the progress of cybersecurity efforts in the past year. Chaired by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, the meeting also included Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance (ISA), also attended…

Memo Outlines Cyber Responsibilities for Coordinator, OMB and DHS

A recently released memo has outlined the duties and responsibilities of OMB, DHS and the Cybersecurity Coordinator surrounding cybersecurity efforts.

“DHS oversees critical infrastructure protection, operates the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), oversees implementation of the Trusted Internet Connection initiative, and takes other actions to help secure both the Federal civilian government systems and the private sector,” the…

CNCI Declassified

The White House has unveiled a declassified version of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI). The CNCI was originally started by the Bush Administration and President Obama has decided to evolve the CNCI to become key sections in an expanded and up-to-date cybersecurity strategy for the US.

The decision to declassify portions of the…

Schmidt Claims Internet More Secure

Earlier this week, White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt gave his first public appearance following his appointment, claiming the Internet is more secure now than it has been in recent years.

Schmidt spoke at the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus’ State of the Internet Conference in Washington, D,C.

“I get asked this question all the time: are we more…

Despite the Challenges, ‘Let’s Put Our Trust in Schmidt’

In December, President Barack Obama announced the appointment of Howard Schmidt to the position of cybersecurity coordinator, which has sat vacant since its creation in May 2009. Schmidt, a veteran of industry and previous administrations, will be responsible for coordinating the national effort to better secure U.S. cyber infrastructure.

The U.S. is consistently…

Experts Respond to Appointment of Schmidt as Cyber Coordinator

Last week, President Obama announced that Howard Schmidt, recent president and CEO of the Information Security Forum, would be taking the position of cyber coordinator at the White House. It has now been a week and various cyber security experts in and outside of government have weighed in on the choice of Schmidt. Below are some comments on the appointment from Jim Lewis, Gen. Harry Raduege and Phil…

Cyber Coordinator Named (Finally)

After nearly seven months of waiting, the White House has finally named Howard Schmidt as cybersecurity coordinator. According to the White House, Schmidt will serve as a member of the president’s national security staff with regular access to the president and will also serve on the president’s economic council.

In his new position, Schmidt will…

Calls Increase for Cyber Coordinator

TechAmerica has joined in calling on the Obama administration to quickly appoint someone to the position of cyber coordinator.

The calls for someone to be appointed to the position have increased in the past month, with members of Congress joining the fray.

Phil Bond, the president of TechAmerica wrote an open letter to President Obama requesting his “attention to the appointment of a cybersecurity coordinator in the White House at the…