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America's Cybersecurity Czar, Howard Schmidt, Steps Down

Posted by samzenpus on from the hit-the-road dept.

wiredmikey writes "In December of 2009, after months of waiting, the Obama Administration named Howard Schmidt as the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator. After more than forty years in the IT community, the nation's first cyber czar will retire at the end of the month. Schmidt, after just over two years of government service, said he would retire in order to spend more time with his family and to entertain teaching opportunities in the cyber field. Schmidt was at the reins when the White House introduced its international strategy for cyberspace, and also helped create the controversial National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, an initiative that would allow people to obtain a single credential as a one-time password (on a token or mobile device) to do business on the Internet. Schmidt will be replaced by Michael Daniel, currently the head of the White House budget office's intelligence branch."

12 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. How did someone that old still have a job in IT? by xzvf · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean, really.... Grey hair, Fred Thompson look alike... They don't exist in IT. Is federal security locking up the punch cards?

  2. Too... many... by chrissigler · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...White House budget office's intelligence branch.

    Too... many... oxymorons...

    Cannot... resist...

    1. Re:Too... many... by Nidi62 · · Score: 2

      I'm just wondering why the budget office needs an intelligence branch. Are they stealing budget ideas from other governments? Are their latest figures going to get hijacked or blown up?

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  3. And welcome Linus Torvalds as surgeon general! by pla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Schmidt will be replaced by Michael Daniel, currently the head of the White House budget office's intelligence branch.

    Um, come again?

    Someone kindly point out what makes this manager-of-auditors-of-bean-counters, with a background totally unrelated to cybersecurity or even IT in general, qualified to coordinate the nation's response to Chinese and Iranian hackers?

    1. Re:And welcome Linus Torvalds as surgeon general! by MadKeithV · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't know if the "cyberworrier" typo is intentional, but it seems oddly appropriate.

    2. Re:And welcome Linus Torvalds as surgeon general! by Sulphur · · Score: 3, Funny

      Schmidt will be replaced by Michael Daniel, currently the head of the White House budget office's intelligence branch.

      Um, come again?

      Someone kindly point out what makes this manager-of-auditors-of-bean-counters, with a background totally unrelated to cybersecurity or even IT in general, qualified to coordinate the nation's response to Chinese and Iranian hackers?

      He can make a great speech you insensitive clod.

  4. Dull gray man replaced by duller, grayer man by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure he'll stamp his authority and re-invigorate the department by immediately setting up a Blue Ribbon committee to come up with the selection criteria for choosing an external consulting firm which will be tasked with planning a review of the mandatory fonts to be used on all internal memoranda.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    1. Re:Dull gray man replaced by duller, grayer man by dkleinsc · · Score: 5, Funny

      To quote the new guy, "Don't quote me regulations. I co-chaired the committee that reviewed the recommendation to revise the color of the book that regulation's in. We kept it gray."

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  5. Re:The word "cyber" by VortexCortex · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's short for Cybernetics, which is a much older throw back, (nearly?) pre-dating computers, and is applicable not only to technology, but any system with information feedback loops. Cybernetic research has been a huge boon to business since at least the 50s.

    Applying "Cyber" to only systems of logic in a computer or computer network is just wrong and should end. Your own mind is a Cybernetic Entity.

  6. Re:The word "cyber" by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 2

    I've cyber-spoken to many cyber-people in the TFA's "cyber field" and I still can't give you a straight answer.

    Maybe we should build a sandboxed subset of the Internet for journalists called CYBER-SPACE that consists of nothing but their organizations' websites and a mountain of child porn. Cyber child porn.

    --
    Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
  7. You misunderstand... by Jawnn · · Score: 2

    To the federal government "Cyber Security" means "...how we protect the IT assets of banks, large corporations, and others who give us large campaign contributions. You little people are on your own. Piss off."

  8. Re:How did someone that old still have a job in IT by mcgrew · · Score: 2

    I mean, really.... Grey hair, Fred Thompson look alike... They don't exist in IT.

    I see you've never been inside the building I work in.

    --
    Free Martian Whores!