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Coker’s appointment comes as the U.S. faces a growing myriad of
cyberthreats, including a U.S. presidential election next year
that many experts believe will be targeted by foreign government
hackers. Coker told Senators during his confirmation hearing
that he saw his office having a “supporting role” to local and
state governments in protecting their elections.
Coker enters the White House with four decades of experience in
government. A former Central Intelligence Agency and National
Security Agency executive, he began his public service as a
Naval officer. His most recent position was as an operating
partner at C5 Capital, a London-based venture capital firm which
invests in technology companies, according to an online
biography.
During the Biden administration, Washington has dealt with
several major hacks within federal agencies, including a
reported Chinese intrusion campaign in July against senior State
Department and Commerce Department officials.
The National Cyber Director role was created through the 2021
National Defense Authorization Act, the military’s annual budget
bill, following a massive hack of government systems known as
Solarburst. It replaced a prior position known as the White
House cyber coordinator, which served a similar purpose but had
less federal authorities. The first National Cyber Director,
Chris Inglis, stepped down from the position in February.
(Reporting by Christopher Bing; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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