Last week, the White House made the decision to axe its top cybersecurity policy position. The White House says the decision to eliminate the job was part of the broader scheme to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency. The slack left will be taken up by two other Senior Directors.
While the move has cause for concern given the every-growing threats facing all facets of our lives, it was not totally a surprise. President Trump‘s new national security adviser, John Bolton, had already stated that he was looking to end the position. Rob Joyce was the most recent Cyber Advisor and he has announced the will return to the NSA. Joyce isn’t the only security role that’s shifted recently in the Trump White House. Tom Bossert, a top homeland security aide, resigned last month.
Experts from across the cybersecurity community have criticized this decision and continue to express concern about the Administration’s apparent lack of urgency regarding cybersecurity. Obama Administration cybersecurity coordinator, J. Michael Daniel, stated that, “Certainly I think that our adversaries could interpret that as a signal that this administration doesn’t take the issue as seriously, regardless of if that’s actually their intent.”
So there’s that.
