Obama taps Bush aide to review federal cybersecurity efforts

10.02.2009
, a Bush administration official who is credited with helping to develop a multi-billion-dollar classified initiative aimed at and critical-infrastructure networks against online threats, has been named by to lead a 60-day review of the government's cybersecurity efforts.

Hathaway was named acting senior director for cyberspace for the National Security Council as well as the . She has been tasked with conducting the governmentwide review of and developing recommendations for ensuring that they are aligned with government and private-sector needs, according to a statement released by the White House Monday evening.

A story posted online Sunday by , quoting unnamed government sources, said that Hathaway was expected to be chosen to head up a new White House cybersecurity office after the review was completed. The statement about the review from the White House didn't address that possibility.

Hathaway has been working as a cyber coordination executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (). She chaired a multiagency group called the National Cyber Study Group that was instrumental in developing the , which was approved by former early last year. Since then, she has been in charge of coordinating and monitoring the CNCI's implementation.

, a former director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division, said today that although Hathaway isn't very well known outside of Washington, she is a "known entity" within the federal cybersecurity community.

"She has been really charging and moving forward with CNCI for the past 24 months," said Yoran, who currently is CEO of NetWitness Corp., a vendor of network-traffic analysis tools in Herndon, Va. He also was a member of a commission, set up by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, that in the federal government's approach to cybersecurity in a report issued in December.