US President Joe Biden has appointed a group of national security veterans with great cyber experience, which has been praised by defense officials and former investigators, as the US government is working to recover from one of the biggest breaches it has suffered during the Trump administration years.
"It's great to see the priority that the new administration is giving to the Internet," said Susan Spaulding, Project Director for the Defense of Democratic Institutions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Trump administration slashed appointments in cybersecurity during his presidency, it suspended the position of cybersecurity coordinator in the White House, reduced the cyber diplomacy wing at the State Department, and fired federal cybersecurity leader Chris Krebs in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election defeat on November 3. .
The breach was revealed in December, which hit 6 federal agencies and several companies, including the software provider SolarWinds.
And US intelligence agencies have publicly attributed this to Russian government agencies, while Moscow has denied involvement in the hack.
Under a recent law, Biden must open an internet-focused office and report to a new national cyber manager, who will orchestrate the federal government's massive cyber capabilities, said Mark Montgomery, a former congressional employee who helped design the role.
The leading candidate for the position of Internet director is Gene Easterly, a former high-ranking NSA official, according to four people familiar with the selection process.
Easterly held several senior intelligence posts in the Obama administration and helped establish the US Electronic Command, the nation's top electronic warfare unit.
Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a statement that the Biden administration "has appointed world-class cybersecurity experts in leadership positions."
The massive cyber breach hit 8 federal agencies and many companies, including the software provider "SolarWinds" (Reuters)
However, some observers are concerned that the group chosen for these positions has been drawn almost entirely from the public sector, said a former official and industry analyst, who requested anonymity.
He cautioned the need for diversification because the vast majority of the Internet's infrastructure in the United States is owned and managed by American companies.
“Finding a good balance with both government and business expertise will be critical to success,” said Amit Yuran, a former director of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security and now CEO of security company Tenable.
Biden plans to nominate Rob Silvers, who also served in the administration of former President Barack Obama, to become director of the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, according to four people briefed on the matter.
Biden's National Security Council, the White House arm that directs the administration's security priorities, includes five officials with expertise in cybersecurity.
The NSA's senior official appointments are led by Ann Neuberger as the deputy national security advisor for electronic and emerging technology.
“Neuberger has become one of the NSA's most recognizable figures in recent years after leading the spy agency's cyber defense wing, leading to praise for its role in quickly alerting companies to the hacking techniques used by other countries,” said Phil Reiner, CEO of the Institute of Security and Technology. ".
The other four appointees are Michael Solmayr as Senior Director of Internet, Elizabeth Sherwood Randall as a Homeland Security Adviser, Ross Travers as Deputy Homeland Security Adviser, and Caitlin Durkowitz as Senior Director of Resilience and Response at the National Security Council, all of whom previously served in senior security positions that dealt with cybersecurity.