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Security Nominees Unfamiliar To Tech Sector
by Bara Vaida
President Bush nominated three individuals to fill key posts at the Homeland Security Department, all of whom are unfamiliar to the high-tech industry. That has raised some concerns in the industry about how "green" Homeland Security may be on the topic of cyber security, said several high-tech sources.
Bush nominated Frank Libutti as undersecretary for information analysis and infrastructure protection, a post overseeing the former Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office and the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center. Libutti has little direct information technology management experience, according to high-tech sources, as he most recently was the New York City Police Department's deputy commissioner of counter terrorism. Before that, he was special assistant for homeland security at the Defense Department and was a lieutenant general in the Marine Corps. The White House said Libutti would oversee intelligence gathering on terrorism and the protection of the nation's infrastructure, adding that it likely would take several months before Congress confirms him for the post.
"A few of our member companies who worked with him in New York said they had a positive working relationship with him and that he had a good open door policy," said Mario Correa, director of Internet and network security policy at the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
Robert Liscouski, also unknown to the tech community, was nominated to be assistant secretary for infrastructure protection, which likely would oversee the implementation of the president's strategy to secure cyberspace. Liscouski currently is director of information assurance at Coca-Cola, and "he would have had cyber security as a primary responsibility," Correa said. He added that Liscouski has a "good reputation" among some BSA member companies.
Paul Redmond has been nominated for assistant secretary for information analysis. Redmond may not be well known within the high-tech sector, but within the intelligence community, he is largely credited with being the CIA officer that led to the capture of Soviet mole Aldrich Ames. Redmond is a consultant to the CIA director and is former chief of CIA counterintelligence.
Redmond and Libutti will work closely with John Brennon, head of the CIA's new Terrorist Threat Integration Center and the expected hub in the government's effort to integrate terrorist threat information. Meanwhile, some security experts say it is not necessary that Bush's nominees should come from the high-tech sector. Rich Pethia, who directs the CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University, said many IT firms are responsible for manufacturing the very products that have been causing cyber vulnerabilities and IT leaders must do a better job fixing their products. When asked whether he believed the top IT position at Homeland Security should have gone to a technology industry player, Pethia said he would not want the "fox guarding the henhouse."
Additionally, high-tech sources said that Howard Schmidt, who most recently was vice chairman of the now defunct White House Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and previously Microsoft's chief security officer, may be appointed to a special cyber security advisory position to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Ridge last week told Congress that cyber security is a top priority for his department.
Administration Moves In The Security Arena
Bush this week also announced his intention to appoint Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, a group of private sector, state and local officials that provide guidance to the administration on critical infrastructure protection policy issues. Bush also intends to appoint Martha Marsh, CEO of Stanford University's Hospital and Clinics.
The FBI's Office of General Counsel announced new appointments last week. J. Patrick Rowan, a detailee from the U.S. Attorney's Office from the District of Columbia was appointed special counsel; he will provide guidance on a range of criminal and national security law issues. For the past 12 years, Rowan served as a federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia. Marion "Spike" Bowman has been named senior counsel for national security affairs. She most recently was deputy general counsel for the National Security Law Branch. In her new position, Bowman will focus on providing guidance to agents conducting counterintelligence and counterterroism operations. Charles Steele will replace Bowman. He currently is deputy general counsel for the legal advice and training branch.
And Antitrust Appointments On Capitol Hill
Senate Republicans named Judiciary Committee counsel Makan Delrahim and Virginian Steve Cannon to a new 12-member Antitrust Modernization Commission created in November. The commission, created by legislation authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., is designed to address how antitrust enforcement should change in the global economy, the role of intellectual property law in antitrust law, and what role state attorneys general should have in enforcing antitrust laws. A spokesman for Sensenbrenner said he has not made his two selections, and is focusing on ensuring that congressional appropriators quickly allocate at least $4 million in funds. He wrote in January to Virginia Republican Frank Wolf, chairman of the Commerce, Justice and State Appropriations Subcommittee, seeking expedited funding. Democrats have announced their picks: John Shenefield, an attorney and antitrust chief in the Carter administration who also recently represented the attorneys general of nine states in their lawsuit against Microsoft. Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle, D-S.D., has named Jonathan Yarowsky, a partner at Patton Boggs, and Jonathan Jacobson, a partner at Akin Gump. Bush will name the remaining four panelists.
Meanwhile, Carl Forti was named communications director at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) replacing Steve Schmidt. Schmidt is leaving the NRCC to become senior vice president of media relations for the Direct Impact Co. Forti, currently deputy communications director, has spent the past two election cycles at the NRCC. Separately, the National Republican Committee said in its February financial report that it spent $6.45 million, of which $439,383 went to Internet costs. The Democratic National Committee reported that it spent $1.86 million, of which $189,291 was spent on computers.
Bill Schulz was named chief counsel to the House Policy Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif. Schulz is a former special master who handled complex cases at the U.S. Court of Claims, including multi-claim, multi-billion dollar litigation brought by commercial banks and savings and loans against the federal government. Schulz worked for Cox in various capacities between 1989 and 1992 as a congressional staff member.
Talking To TechNet
Bipartisan lobbying group TechNet is scheduled to host a meeting March 26 in Silicon Valley between its members and Deputy Labor Secretary D. Cameron Findlay. He is expected to discuss his role overseeing the Labor Department's budget and the many legislative, regulatory, legal and policy issues under Labor's jurisdiction. Findlay plays a significant role in many issues that affect the technology industry including international trade and international labor issues, regulatory issues, the president's retirement security proposal, and legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, TechNet said.
Dan Bart, senior vice president of standards and special projects for the Telecommunications Industry Association, has been named the co-chair of the Homeland Security Standards panel, a body created by the non-profit American National Standards Institute. The other co-chair is Mary Saunder, chief of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standards Services Division.
Johanna Mikes, currently legislative counsel for Congressional Internet Caucus Co-chair Rick Boucher, will join FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein as his media adviser. Before Boucher's office, Mikes was attorney adviser in policy and program planning of the FCC's Common Carrier bureau, now called the Wireline Competition bureau.
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