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Microsoft Executive Tapped For Top DHS Cyber Post

Posted by samzenpus on from the reboot-to-be-safe dept.

krebsatwpost writes "The Department of Homeland Security has named Microsoft's 'chief trustworthy infrastructure strategist' Phil Reitinger to be its top cyber security official. Many in the security industry praised him as a smart pick, but said he will need to confront a culture of political infighting and leadership failures at DHS. From the story: 'Reitinger comes to the position with cyber experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2003, he was executive director of the Defense Department's Computer Forensics Lab. Before that, he was deputy chief of the Justice Department's Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property section, where he worked under Scott Charney, who is currently corporate vice president for trustworthy computing at Microsoft.'"

4 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. que 500 stupid M$ sux0rs posts by timmarhy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    this guy doesn't seem a half way bad pick. of course if it was my call i'd eliminate the whole DHS nonense and just fund the FBI,NSA,CIA and police properly. if those 4 agencies can't get it done wtf is the DHS going to add?

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  2. Good Grid! by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't that like asking the head of AIG to be the officer of "financial responsibility"???

  3. US-CERT mentioned in article by daemonburrito · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wonder if we will be seeing US-CERT standing up to Microsoft the way they did with this (a vector for conficker) with him in charge.

    I have a sick feeling about this. This guy was surely part of the Microsoft effort to call this a feature. And what was this "political infighting" that the article alludes to? I hope it wasn't over whether to go after Microsoft for aiding in the creation of the largest botnet to date.

  4. I'd like to be objective about this. Let's try. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I like how this guy, whom I don't know much about, is painted a smart pick, coming as he does from the largest single computer security threat on the planet. Anybody recall that up to not very long ago at all security was not on their agenda? Simply because it made them more money not to care.

    Oh, and that is remebering their own words and without mentioning the usual, such as that they are convicted monopolists too, their business practices suck, their code sucks, their customer service and sales techniques reminisces that of office depot, and so on and so forth.

    The bottom line is that in politics you usually don't let the guy who fucked it up try and fix it. Unless perhaps the guy has friends in high places.