In late May, President Obama fulfilled a campaign pledge to make cybersecurity a priority for his administration. A great start but very little has happened since. The president promised the swift appointment of a cybersecurity coordinator but the position remains unfilled.
It now appears that congress is getting restless and is reminding the President not to forget his cybersecurity commitments while he turns his attention to healthcare. In a letter to the President, the two co-chairs of the Bipartisan House Cybersecurity Caucus (Jim Langevin, D-RI and Michael McCaul, R-TX) articulated their growing concern about the delayed appointment. The congressman stated: "Specifically, we strongly believe that the continued absence of a permanent cybersecurity coordinator impedes the ability of federal agencies to move forward in updating and strengthening their aging cyber policies, while also complicating our efforts to collaborate with private institutions that play such a critical role in keeping our nation safe."
I applaud the congressmen's wake-up call and realize that politics and protocol preclude a stronger statement. That said and with all due respect to the President: What the heck is taking so long? Here in the private sector, a critical situation like cybersecurity demands immediate action and corporate executives are ultimately held accountable by how they address these issues and make measurable progress.
Many people accuse the President of trying to do too much too soon. Unfortunately, the longer the cybersecurity coordinator remains open, the more accurate this thesis becomes.
We really have to put politics aside soon, get someone in place, and begin to make progress.
The Leader in Network Knowledge
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