Hathaway advocates direct White House role on cybersecurity

Endorsing a viewpoint that's been gaining currency in the security industry, President Obama's acting senior director for cyberspace Wednesday called for a more direct White House role in coordinating national cybersecurity efforts.

Melissa Hathaway, who just completed a 60-day review of the government's cybsersecurity preparedness at the president's behest, said that while cybersecurity needs to be a shared private and public sector effort, the task of leading it "is the fundamental responsibility of our government."

In arguing for a bigger White House role, Hathaway said the government's responsibility "transcends" the purviews of individual departments and agencies, none of which has a broad enough perspective to match the "sweep of the challenges."

"Protecting cyberspace requires strong vision and leadership and will require changes in policy, technology, education, and perhaps law," she said.

Hathaway is a former Bush administration aide who has been working as a cybercoordination executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She headed a multiagency group called the National Cyber Study Group that was instrumental in developing the Comprehensive National CyberSecurity Initiative which was approved by former President George W. Bush early last year.

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