GAO Urges Congress Create US Cyber Director, Wants Other Agencies Involved With New State Bureau
Congress "should consider legislation to designate a leadership position in the White House with commensurate authority to implement and encourage action in support of the nation's cybersecurity," GAO reported Tuesday. The House-passed FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-6395) includes…
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language to establish a national cyber director within the executive office of the president (see 2007200067). The U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission also recommended that (see 2003110076). “In light of the elimination of the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator position” (see 1708030009), “it remains unclear which official ultimately maintains responsibility for not only coordinating execution” of President Donald Trump’s 2018 U.S. cyber strategy (see 1809200055) “but also holding federal agencies accountable once activities are implemented,” GAO said. “Without a clear central leader to coordinate activities, as well as a process for monitoring performance," the White House “cannot ensure that entities are effectively executing their assigned activities intended to support the nation’s cybersecurity strategy and ultimately overcome this urgent challenge.” GAO urged the National Security Council to "work with relevant federal entities to update cybersecurity strategy documents to include goals, performance measures, and resource information." NSC “neither agreed nor disagreed with GAO's recommendation,” the office said. GAO separately urged the State Department to “involve federal agencies that contribute to cyber diplomacy to obtain their views and identify any risks, such as unnecessary fragmentation, overlap, and duplication of these efforts, as it implements its plan to establish” a Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) Bureau. It's "important for agencies to involve other agency stakeholders in developing proposed reforms to obtain their views,” the office said. “Without involving and communicating with agency partners on its reorganization plan, State lacks assurance that it will effectively achieve its goals for establishing CSET, and it increases the risk of negative effects from unnecessary fragmentation, overlap, and duplication of cyber diplomacy efforts.” State disagreed, saying "other agencies are not stakeholders in an internal State reform, and that it was [unaware] that these agencies had consulted with State before reorganizing their own cyberspace security organizations,” the auditor said.