Intellectual Property Law

Outgoing DHS Cyber Chief Expands on Why He Resigned

By Ryan Singel, Kevin Poulsen, Sarah Lai Stirland, Kim Zetter, and David Kravets

The Department of Homeland Security's outgoing cyber chief, who resigned last Friday, has expanded on the concerns he cited in his resignation letter.

Rod Beckstrom, who resigned as head of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) under concerns that the National Security Agency is pushing to take control of the government's cybersecurity efforts, says private companies that are meant to partner with the government in securing the nation's critical infrastructures likely won't be comfortable working with an agency known for its secrecy.

In an interview with Forbes on Monday, Beckstrom said, "In intelligence environments like the NSA, you seek out and gather information, and then you classify it. It's the opposite of collaboration."

He added that "there are companies that are comfortable working in classified environments, and there are those that aren't. That would be one reason to support a credible, civilian, independent component like the NCSC. Otherwise, we'd lose those relationships we gained by bringing [these companies] into the fold."

In his resignation letter, Beckstrom said the NSA is trying to move the NCSC to its base at Ft. Meade in Maryland, a move he opposes on grounds that it would concentrate too much authority in one place.

"The issue is that we have a federated government, decentralized for a reason," Beckstrom told Forbes. "Our founding fathers never believed that power should be concentrated in one place. And what today is more powerful than information?"

Photo courtesy of Department of Homeland Security

See also:

• NSA Should Oversee Cybersecurity, Intel Chief Says
• Cyber-Security Czar Quits Amid Fears of NSA Takeover
• NSA Chief Continues Bid to Take Over Cyberseucrity

Full post as published by Threat Level on March 09, 2009 (boomark / email).