Cybersecurity expert hails new DHS cyber chief

New Department of Homeland Security Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford's arrival could "herald an era of greater balance in national cybersecurity leadership" between DHS and the intelligence community, according to a prominent cybersecurity expert.

Weatherford was named to manage the department's cybersecurity operations last month after the resignation of Philip Reitinger, who is now chief information security officer at Sony. SANS Institute research director Alan Paller said the change should tilt the balance toward the civilian agencies.

"For the first time in many years, the U.S. cybersecurity program will be run by a technologist rather than by a lawyer. There are good reasons to believe that this change will herald an era of greater balance in national cybersecurity leadership between [the National Security Agency] and DHS," Paller said.

Under the comprehensive cybersecurity legislative proposals favored by the White House and the Senate, DHS would become the primary federal agency in charge of regulating cybersecurity for the private sector and civilian agencies. NSA would play a supporting role due to its considerable expertise in the area.

Paller said DHS has made important advancements in its cybersecurity leadership driven by technologists, such as shifting toward security based more on automated technology and continuous monitoring than the paper-based compliance approach favored by the Federal Information Security Management Act.

Paller is also a frequent advocate of leveraging the $80 billion the federal government spends annually on information technology to encourage innovation by software and hardware providers so security is a primary consideration at every stage of a product's development.

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