Page 13 - FCW, July 2020

200 autonomous surveillance towers could be part of Customs and Border Protection’s planned
virtual border wall
Bipartisan House bill would create a White House cyber director
A bipartisan group of lawmakers who are active on technology issues introduced legislation to mandate a cybersecurity director position in the White House.
The National Cyber Director Act — introduced by Reps. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) — would make the director the principal adviser to the president on cybersecurity strategy and policy. It would also create two new deputy positions under the director; one would focus on planning and operations and the other on strategy, capabilities and budget. The official would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The director would develop the National Cyber Strategy, review the annual cybersecurity budgets for federal agencies and coordinate digital security issues across federal agencies with the U.S. CIO, the U.S. chief information security officer, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, and other agencies.
In addition, the cybersecurity director would sit on the National Security Council, establish “clear lines of authority and...effort across the federal government,” and lead joint interagency planning for responding to cyberattacks.
“Only within the White House can we cohesively develop and implement a truly whole-of-nation cyber strategy that is commensurate with the threats we face,” Langevin said in a statement. “By establishing a national cyber director with the policy and budgetary authority to reach across government, we can better address cybersecurity vulnerabilities and gaps holistically and prevent catastrophic cyber incidents.”
Creating the position is one of the centerpiece recommendations of the congressional Cyberspace Solarium Commission. It has also been a top priority for many lawmakers since former National Security Adviser John Bolton eliminated the White House cybersecurity coordinator position on the National Security Council in 2018.
The legislation appears to have bipartisan support in the House, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is also a supporter. Furthermore, the Senate’s version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision for conducting a feasibility study on the proposal. Still, Langevin and other advocates have acknowledged that it might be difficult to persuade the White House to sign off on legislation dictating how it structures its national security bureaucracy.
In a June 30 call with reporters, Angus King (I-Maine), co-chairman of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, said he has heard White House officials oppose the idea but has yet to see a statement explaining why or whether different legislative language could alleviate any concerns.
“I haven’t given up on it, and I shouldn’t even put it that way,” King said. “I believe we’re going to be able to find a resolution on it.”
— Derek B. Johnson
Congress weighs fate of DOD’s chief management officer
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision that would eliminate the chief management officer’s position at the Defense Department and reassign those duties.
Lisa Hershman, who was confirmed as CMO in December, held a quarterly town hall for the Office of the CMO in June in which she largely focused on plans for reopening the Pentagon to employees. She also addressed the provision that would terminate her role.
“Keep in mind this is the first draft of proposed language offered by
one committee and one chamber of Congress,” Hershman said. “This is a long process.”
The House Armed Services Committee’s markup of the bill does not include such a provision. During a Defense Writers Group call in June, committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) was asked if he would support eliminating the CMO role.
“Let’s give them a chance to at least do their job before we rip the floor out from under them,” Smith said. “But if someone thinks that getting rid of the CMO puts us in a more efficient position, I’m open to
hearing that argument.”
In a call with reporters, Rep. Mac
Thornberry (R-Texas), the committee’s ranking member, said Congress created the position to have “a service secretary over the defense-wide agencies [but] the authorities and the responsibilities are not aligned.”
He said it was lawmakers’ responsibility to correct the situation and added that he was considering submitting an amendment to the 2021 NDAA that could include suggestions on restructuring the role based on a Defense Business Board study.
— Lauren C. Williams
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