White House Names Retired Air Force General As First Cyber Security Chief

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The White House on Thursday named a retired U.S. Air Force general as the government's first federal cyber security chief, a position announced eight months ago that is intended to improve defenses against hackers. Gregory Touhill's job will be to protect government networks and critical infrastructure from cyber threats as federal chief information security officer, according to a statement. President Barack Obama announced the new position in February alongside a budget proposal to Congress asking for $19 billion for cyber security across the U.S. government. Touhill is currently a deputy assistant secretary for cyber security and communications at the Department of Homeland Security. He will begin his new role later this month, a source familiar with the matter said. Grant Schneider, who is the director of cyber security policy at the White House's National Security Council, will be acting deputy to Touhill, according to the announcement. wiredmikey adds from a report via SecurityWeek.Com: The White House today announced that Brigadier General (retired) Gregory J. Touhill has been named the first Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Back in February, President Barack Obama unveiled a cybersecurity "national action plan" (CNAP) which called for an overhaul of aging government networks and a high-level commission to boost security awareness. As part of the plan, the White House said it would hire a federal CISO to direct cybersecurity across the federal government. General Touhill is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The key hire comes at a time when the government needs cybersecurity talent more than ever. Earlier this week a report published by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee said the data breaches disclosed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) last year were a result of culture and leadership failures, and should not be blamed on technology.

Re:

[unixisc]

Why not just poach somebody from the OpenBSD team, and piss off Theo at the US government even more?

Im sure..

[nult]

Im sure this fellow will be the same caliper of person as Ive had the dis-pleasure of working with at homeland security; IE: incompetent.

Re:

[ourlovecanlastforeve]

I'm certain you are correct.

The US military complex still views cybersecurity jobs as do-nothing cushy paper pusher jobs for retired brass who know too much to be fired for incompetence and have to continue drawing a paycheck so they don't talk too much.

Re:

[zlives]

i can use that job, also when can we outsource the military using H1B

Re: Im sure..

[iivel]

I actually used to work with the guy after he co-sponsored one of the first joint public/private working groups with USTRANSCOM, the FBI (and other 3 letter agencies), contractors, and some leading cybersecurity firms. Lots of tabletop exercises, briefings, etc., and the cool stuff was all classified of course, but he definately knows his way around the subject at a national level very well.

Re:

[rtb61]

Let me guess, someone guaranteed not to report crimes being committed by the government, not just some but thousands of crimes, fraud, electoral abuses, bribery, murder, treason et al.

Re:

[ourlovecanlastforeve]

Ad hominem.

Re:

[h33t l4x0r]

What does he need the caliper for? To measure the tubes?

He needs to go browse the slashdot deals

[Anonymous Coward]

The Ethical Hacker & Pentester Pro Bundle might help, :)

Re:

[zlives]

i think you don't understand the govt... there is no job#2 and job#1 fits under the "global force for good" motto.

Re:

[AHuxley]

Job #3 Use gov workers and contractors files as plain text bait as a live experiment on wide open, unencrypted gov networks.
Missed Opportunities Detailed Ahead of Personnel Agency Hack (Sep 7, 2016)
http://abcnews.go.com/Technolo... [go.com]
"For the next few months, the personnel office worked with the FBI, National Security Agency and others to monitor the hacker to better understand his movements"
"Over the next several months, the hacker moved unchecked through the system and stole sensitive security clearan

in other news

[zlives]

in other news, some IT guy with 20+year experience will be made general in-charge of US Airforce.

Re:

[zlives]

on the other hand if Trump does win... maybe that is as it should be?

Re:

[AlphaBro]

You must be a member of the tolerant left.

If it passes the test of redundancy

[swell]

it bears repeating.

And yet. . .

[Salgak1]

. . . the Federal Civil Service cyber positions pay well under market AND take forever to get (6-12 month waits from application to final disposition are typical) and contractors (Admission: I'm a Cybersecurity contractor myself) win with low bids. And hey, I just got a lordly 1% cost-of-living raise. . . . On the gripping hand, I can't be replaced by an H1B . . .

Re:

[Salgak1]

Turn in your nerd card. Classic SF Reference. [wikipedia.org]. Or consult the Jargon File [catb.org]

Seriously, if you don't understand something, look it up. . . [bfy.tw]

Re:

[Gibgezr]

You mean you don't grok what "on the gripping hand" means?

Because it needs repeating

[Bob the Super Hamste]

While I wish I could take credit for this that right belongs to Arancaytar [slashdot.org]:

I am the very model of a modern Cyber General
I've information secretive and knowledge technological
I know my way around the tubes and quote the cryptological
From Adi, Bruce and Len to Ron in order alphabetical!