Cybersecurity Coordinator Appointment Brings Renewed Focus to Task

Schmidt’s combination of government and industry experience makes him ideally suited to the task, said several industry groups and Congressional leaders. Some had started to get impatient with the White House over the apparent lack of progress in appointing someone, with TechAmerica and Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., chair of the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Subcommittee, publicly urging the president last month to quickly make an appointment. Clarke praised the appointment, saying Schmidt’s 40-year career spanning law enforcement, defense and corporate security brings the right mix to the job. “By appointing Mr. Schmidt, the president has sent a clear message to the American people that he is committed to protecting and strengthening our cyber posture,” she said.

Senators praised the appointment but said they'll still push for a Senate-confirmed position. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said the appointment was welcome after such delay. He said he'll introduce legislation in the new year to make the cyber coordinator a Senate-confirmed position, but he backed the general idea of having a coordinator in the White House, saying only the president’s office can get all agencies “working from the same playbook.” He said he hopes the appointment renews the sense of urgency about cybersecurity across the government. Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, issued a joint statement praising Schmidt but also voicing concern that the position “even filled by a leader like Schmidt, still does not possess the institutional heft that it needs.” They also advocated a Cabinet-level, Senate-confirmed position, similar in structure to the U.S. Trade Representative.

How much Schmidt is able to accomplish will depend on the authority he’s perceived to have, several said. Rockefeller and Snowe urged the president and National Security Council to ensure Schmidt has the necessary authority throughout the federal government. “He must have direct and regular access to the President, and everyone in government and the private sector must know that he is the President’s voice on cybersecurity matters,” they said. Center for Democracy & Technology President Leslie Harris said the president will set the tone. “It’s going to be up to the president, ultimately, whether he has the authority he needs to get the job done,” she said. Harris said the center is pleased with the appointment because Schmidt has the right skill set for the job. He understands the substance of the issue, she said, but he’s also able to operate in a political environment, something he'll need in order to accomplish the big goals President Barack Obama has set out.

In his video address, Schmidt outlined the five areas Obama asked him to cover, areas that were discussed in the cybersecurity review released in May. They include developing a new comprehensive strategy to secure American networks, ensuring a unified response to cyber incidents, strengthening public-private partnerships, promoting research and development, and promoting a national public awareness and educational campaign. Liesyl Franz, TechAmerica vice president of information security programs, also emphasized the importance of as much direct contact as possible with the president and integrating cybersecurity into all national security and economic conversations. The public awareness campaign should see renewed focus under Schmidt, who she said is used to an “evangelistic role.” “Howard is not a shy guy,” she said.

The e-mail announcement from John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, said Schmidt will be a member of the National Security Staff but will also work with the economic team. The wording appeared somewhat different from the structure designated in the president’s May speech, in which he said the coordinator would sit on both the National Security Council and National Economic Council. A White House spokesman said Schmidt will report to Brennan but “work closely with and collaborate with” the National Economic Council, as well as have regular access to the president. Privacy and civil liberties concerns are in the mix, according to the spokesman. He said the National Security Staff named “a privacy and civil liberties official” to work with that advocacy community, especially on federal intrusion prevention technology and identity management.

Because of his experience in the government, Schmidt should be able to hit the ground running, said Adam Rak, senior director of public affairs at Symantec. There are a lot of good things happening now in Congress, he said, including a move to update FISMA and a push for data security legislation. Having a point person in the White House will help focus those efforts, he said. “I think there’s been a lot of positive movement. I think this is going to help bring those pieces together,” he said. The critical tasks facing Schmidt are looking at the critical infrastructure within the U.S., better international cooperation and better public awareness of cyber security, Rak said. The U.S. should be taking a leadership role as other nations develop their own infrastructure, he said.

In addition to his corporate and government positions, Schmidt holds academic positions at the Georgia Tech Information Security Center, Carnegie Mellon’s CyLab and Idaho State University.