Reuters: White House to appoint first federal cyber security chief today (updated)
Retired Brigadier General Gregory Touhill to be charged with protecting US networks.
According to Reuters, the White House will appoint Retired Air Force Brigadier General Gregory Touhill as the nation's first federal cyber security chief, a position tasked with dictating cybersecurity policy for the entire federal government. It's an announcement that's been a long time coming. After watching US networks suffer a series of embarrassing attacks last year, President Obama pledged to shore up federal cybersecruity efforts, creating a Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity and announcing a Cybersecurity National Action Plan. The latter promised to create a Federal Chief Information Security Officer to help protect US systems from future threats. General Touhill, it seems, is our man.
Turns out, the retired airman is a pretty solid choice: Touhill's resume is a laundry list of information technology and cybersecurity management positions. Not only does Touhill have a history of holding high-profile IT roles in the Air Force, but as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security, he had a hand in steering the presidential Action Plan that created his new position. He also led the response to the OPM data breach last year that leaked personal information on over 20 million federal employees.
Update: The White House has made the official announcement.
