Cyber Czar Deletes Himself: Hair on Fire? System Blinking Red?

[Miss Authoritiva]

Cyber Czar Deletes Himself: Hair on Fire? System Blinking Red?

Miss Authoritiva

As widely reported, on October 1, 2004, the government's cybersecurity chief, Amit Yoran, abruptly resigned from the Department of Homeland Security, giving one day's notice. Some say he wants to spend more time with his family. Well, maybe.

Others maintain that a bruising bureaucratic war over turf, access, and priorities is the real reason. That war ended on September 23rd when legislation that would have moved the nation's director of cybersecurity from the Department of Homeland Security to the White House died in the House of Representatives. Well, maybe that too.

But I suspect the real reason Yoran left so abruptly is that he doesn't want cyber-blood on his hands. I wonder if Yoran's hair was on fire when he left. I wonder if the cybersecurity system is blinking red -- just in time for …. Oh, just in time for a lot of things.

Doesn't this all sound so familiar? Who knows, maybe in a year from now -- as we're still recovering from some crippling cyber-attack -- we'll be hearing about a Presidential Daily Briefing entitled, "Cyber-Terrorists Determined to Strike in US," and some Bush toady will tell us that the document was historical in nature.

ArsTechnica, a website for computer enthusiasts, had this to say:

"It's instructive to run down the list, because a pattern emerges: Richard Clarke quit and wrote a tell-all ripping the Bush administration for not being serious about cybersecurity and terrorism in general; (Howard) Schmidt quit after just three months; Rand Beers was so fed up when he quit after just one month in the job that he joined the Kerry campaign; and now Amit Yoran quits, citing frustration with cybersecurity's "low priority" at DHS. Houston, we have a problem. "

Remember, folks, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month. The press release didn't state whether Amit Yoran was scheduled to be in attendance, but there was a lovely kickoff party to promote "cybersecurity preparedness" at the National Press Club in Washington on September 30th.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Interesting....

[Miss Authoritiva]

2. Normally, I'm not a tin foil hat person.

I'm more of a New! Reynolds Quick Release Aluminum foil person. But this creeps me out. The timing is too perfect.