U.S. cyber-czar suddenly quits after 1 year

U.S. cyber-czar suddenly quits after 1 year

Washington Post
Saturday, October 2, 2004

Washington -- The nation's top cyber-security official has resigned unexpectedly, raising new questions about the progress of efforts to protect the nation's vast computer networks from terror attacks, electronic viruses and other threats, government and industry officials said Friday.

Amit Yoran stepped down Thursday, one year after he was hired by homeland security officials with a broad mandate to reinvigorate Bush administration efforts to improve the way government and industry address computer security.

Yoran is the third cyber-security chief to exit in less than two years as the pace of improvements has caused frustration. He declined Friday to say why he had left his post after giving just one day's notice. But industry officials said he had been disappointed that he was not given as much authority as he was promised to attack the problem.

"Cyber-security has fallen down on that totem pole," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, who previously worked on security issues in the White House. Kurtz said Yoran's resignation underscored a concern in the private sector that government(BUSH) wasn't taking the issue seriously enough: "It's kind of symptomatic of the frustration all around."

Yoran was appointed director of the National Cyber Security Division in September 2003, at a time when industry officials were complaining about the government's(BUSH)failure to give the issue more prominence.

Yoran succeeded Howard Schmidt, the White House adviser on cyber-security who resigned in April 2003, and the nation's first "cyber-czar," Richard Clarke, who stepped down three months earlier. On their departures, both of Yoran's predecessors warned about the importance of stepping up efforts to combat computer and network attacks.

Is the press even going to report this? hell no. You'd think that during an election where the president is touting his anti-terrorism credentials as his best and most important quallfication that someone in tvland might find it relevant that the administrations'(BUSH) anti-terrorism cabinet officials are quitting their jobs because Bush won't make protecting America from terrorism at home a priority! *screams in frustration* *Silmarill gets up from computer, stalks over to the corner of the room and proceeds to beat the stuffing out the Bush doll lying there.* "Take that you wrong war fighting, non American people protecting, economy crashing, language impaired, stupid, lying, whiny and crying, fake ass Cowboy sonofabitch!. *walks back to computer* Whew. I feel better. Ok...things are going to be fine....no they're not. Bring it home Kerry.

Bold mine, (Bush)'s also added by me.