National security personnel seek steady leadership and responsibility from the national cyber director role.
The White House has made a significant move in the realm of cybersecurity, announcing Chris Inglis as its nominee for the newly created role of National Cyber Director. This role, a primary recommendation of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC), was adopted into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year and signals a greater federal focus on cybersecurity.
The National Cyber Director will work closely with the Deputy National Security Advisor, Anne Neuberger, in coordinating efforts to combat cyber threats. Jen Easterly, who has been nominated for the Director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is expected to play a crucial role in these efforts as well.
The creation of this new role comes at a time when CISA is attempting to fill a gap in the White House. The executive voice has been deemed essential for coordination in these efforts. However, the transition process is not without its challenges. Brandon Wales, acting director of CISA, mentioned that ending old initiatives is more of a challenge than beginning new ones.
Investing in cybersecurity in private industry is also a complex task due to the rapid obsolescence of tools and solutions in cyberspace. Convincing leadership to adopt more agile, flexible programmatic architectures will lend itself to evolving with cyber threats.
Congress, too, is open to iterating on challenges posed by cybersecurity but needs authorities to move legislation at a quicker pace. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-WI, and co-chair of the CSC, stressed the importance of the director being a productive partner between Congress and the White House in cybersecurity.
However, concerns have been raised about the potential for the National Cyber Director to become an "uber-CISA Director." Suzanne Spaulding, a member of the CSC, expressed these concerns, fearing that the new role could overshadow the existing agency.
The nominations of Chris Inglis and Jen Easterly are expected to be approved bipartisanly. The White House's focus on cybersecurity is further evident in the composition of the Biden's National Security Council, which is filled with professionals with cyber-specific backgrounds.
The White House's decision to fill the National Cyber Director role comes after the elimination of the position of national cyber coordinator by former President Donald Trump in 2018. The closest position the White House had before was this eliminated role. The passage of NDAA in December established the director in the executive branch, paving the way for the current nominations.
As the nominations move forward, the focus remains on coordinating efforts to combat cyber threats and ensuring a smooth transition from existing approaches to new capabilities. The challenge lies not only in the technological aspects but also in the political and organisational alignment required for effective cybersecurity measures.
