Today's Security Fix

Federal government loses another cyber security official

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s CERT division has given her resignation.

 CERT, or the Computer Emergency Readiness Team, is charged with disseminating cyber security information to the public.

Mischel Kwon submitted her resignation letter last week, citing frustration with bureaucratic obstacles and the lack of authority to fulfill her mission, according to the Washington Post article. Kwon had been in the post since June of 2008. Kwon’s resignation comes just days after the acting director of cyber security in U.S. President Barack Obama's White House, Melissa Hathaway, announced plans to resign later this month. Hathaway cited personal reasons.

In March the director of the National Cybersecurity Center, Rod Beckstrom, resigned due to issues he had with the dominance of the National Security Agency in his center’s operations.

These three events, combined with the results of a July study by The Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton that found the lack of cyber security expertise in the ranks of the federal government is hindering the U.S.’s ability to sufficiently protect against threats, create cause for concern. Is the government working hard enough to hire and retain the right talent to protect the country?

Over the weekend, Beckstrom tweeted about Kwon’s resignation, saying “These jobs are tough. We wish you the best Mischel!�

Do you tweet? Follow me on Twitter here.

Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world