In the world of cybersecurity, a question of who's in chargeWASHINGTON — In a nationally televised cyberwar game earlier this year, it took “about four minutes” for the Department of Homeland Security to ask the Pentagon to take the lead in defending the nation, according to former CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden. In military circles, there is a widely held perception that during a real cyberattack, the Pentagon and its Cyber Command would take the lead in a federal government response. In reality, it remains far from clear who will be in charge.
Almost 16 months after President Barack Obama declared cybersecurity a “national security priority,” critics from Congress to private industry say the White House has dragged its feet in developing a hierarchy of authority that intelligence leaders say is badly overdue. The Pentagon, many believe, has not sufficiently asserted its claim to those powers.
But on Thursday, Gen. Keith Alexander, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, told the House Armed Services Committee that he needs two things: money and authority.
http://www.stripes.com/news/in-the-world-of-cybersecurity-a-question-of-who-s-in-charge-1.119430