President Bush issued an executive order in October 2001 creating a panel to fight cyberterrorism. When the Department of Homeland Security was created, fighting cyberterror fell under the new department. But it has certainly not been smooth sailing.

In September, former Symantec executive Amit Yoran quit his post as cyberterror czar because he believed cybersecurity was not being given a high enough priority with the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Associated Press. In response, the Information Technology Association of America issued a statement saying Yoran's resignation was a "disappointing setback." The group called for the cybersecurity chief position to be elevated in the agency's hierarchy.

Yoran became director of the cyber-security division in September 2003 after the previous White House adviser, Howard Schmidt, resigned to become the head of security at eBay. Schmidt succeeded Richard Clarke, who had stepped down three months earlier, warning that the administration needed to take online security more seriously.