The White House has appointed a top official from the US National
Security Council to serve as presidential adviser for cyberspace
security.
The announcement follows the White House's unveiling of plans to
establish a new Office of Homeland Security, headed by the former
governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge, who was sworn in on 8
October.
The president's special adviser for cyberspace security, Richard
Clarke, will help mesh ongoing critical infrastructure protection
efforts in various government agencies and the private
sector.
Currently, there are a number of entities in place to swap
information on perceived or potential cyberattacks on the nation's
most sensitive infrastructures, including IT, telecom, finance and
transport.
Ken Watson, president of the industry-led Partnership for Critical
Infrastructure Security, recently said before a Senate committee:
"The current mix of lead agencies, sector liaisons and
uncoordinated budgets makes synchronised action difficult."
Watson said that he believed there were about 13 different efforts
to safeguard critical infrastructures.
Clarke is charged with coordinating these groups. In the case of
disruption, he will orchestrate efforts to restore systems.
Industry groups such as the Information Technology Association of
America (ITAA) hailed Clarke's appointment.
ITAA president Harris Miller characterised Clarke's appointment as
installing the equivalent of a cybersecurity czar, a post ITAA has
repeatedly urged the White House to create.