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Gregory Touhill's job will be to protect government networks and
critical infrastructure from cyber threats as federal chief
information security officer, according to a statement.
The administration of President Barack Obama has made bolstering
federal cyber security a top priority in his last year in
office. The issue has gained more attention because of
high-profile breaches in recent years of government and private
sector computers.
U.S. intelligence officials suspect Russia was responsible for
breaches of Democratic political organizations and state
election systems to exert influence on the Nov. 8 presidential
election. Russia has dismissed the allegations as absurd.
Obama announced the new position in February alongside a budget
proposal to Congress asking for $19 billion for cyber security
across the U.S. government. The job is a political appointment,
meaning Obama's successor can choose to replace Touhill after
being sworn in next January.
Touhill is currently a deputy assistant secretary for cyber
security and communications at the Department of Homeland
Security.
He will begin his new role later this month, a source familiar
with the matter said. Touhill's responsibilities will include
creating and implementing policy for best security practices
across federal agencies and conducting periodic audits to test
for weaknesses, according to the announcement.
Grant Schneider, who is the director of cyber security policy at
the White House’s National Security Council, will be acting
deputy to Touhill, according to the announcement.
(Reporting by Dustin Volz; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Grant
McCool)
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