WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is creating a “cyber czar” within the White House to coordinate the nation’s computer security. Critics already say the post will not have enough authority to haul the government into the digital age.
Government and private industry need to better protect the nation’s computer networks, the White House warns in a plan to be rolled out today as the administration sets goals for dealing with cyber threats.
President Barack Obama is expected to say cyber security is a top priority of the administration and to call for a new education campaign to raise awareness of the challenges and threats cyber security involves.
Completed six weeks ago, the much-anticipated cyber report has been delayed because policymakers in and outside the White House have been at loggerheads over how much power and budget-making authority the office will have.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, the cyber czar would be a special assistant to the president and would be supported by a new cyber directorate within the National Security Council.
The cyber czar would work with the National Economic Council, said the officials, who described the plan on the condition of anonymity because it has not been publicly released.
But the cyber report does not explicitly dictate how the government or private industry should tighten digital defenses. Critics say the cyber czar will not have sufficient budgetary and policymaking authority over securing computer systems and spending.
