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DHS Appropriations Bill Elevates Cybersecurity Role Amid Ongoing Challenges

A spending bill likely to be passed this month will give the Department of Homeland Security's chief cybersecurity officer more clout but will not solve major issues in how the agency handles its job of protecting the nation's critical infrastructure, security experts said this week. . The criticism comes as an appropriations bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives is set to be considered by the Senate this month. A separate act that would establish the position of Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity was added to the spending bill as an amendment. The position would replace the current head of the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD), which was created two years ago to head the agency's efforts to analyze and respond to cybersecurity threats. However, in a report released last week, the U.S. General Accounting Office took the Department of Homeland Security to task, arguing that the federal agency has made progress toward, but not fulfilled, any of its 13 cybersecurity responsibilities. More clout for the chief cybersecurity officer within the DHS could help the situation but will not solve the problems, said David Powner, director of information technology management issues at the GAO and the lead author of the report. "Creating an assistant secretary position will clearly be helpful, but it won't be a silver bullet," Powner said. "Just elevating that position does not solve some of the DHS's challenges." The link for this article located at SecurityFocus is no longer available. . Cybersecurity challenges persist despite a new DHS appropriations bill that aims to enhance the chief cybersecurity officer's role.. DHS Cybersecurity Chief, Cybersecurity Bill, Critical Infrastructure Security, Homeland Security Department. . Brittany Day

Jun 02, 2005 • Brittany Day Government