Meet the US's First Ever Cyber Chief

Retired Air Force Brigadier Gen. Gregory Touhill just got a promotion. The White House has named Touhill as the first ever federal chief information security officer, a role that is focused on bolstering the US government’s digital defenses.

The Obama Administration first announced the creation of the position in February as part of a $19 billion “cybersecurity national action plan” that included IT investments and new hires. Touhill currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications within the Department of Homeland Security. In the new job, he will report to Tony Scott, the federal chief information officer and former executive at business software company VMware. Touhill will lead a team within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget “that conducts periodic cyberstat reviews with federal agencies to insure that implementation plans are effective and achieve the desired outcomes,” said Scott, the US info chief, and Michael Daniel, US cybersecurity coordinator, in a jointly authored blog post announcing the news. Touhill will be responsible for “helping to ensure the right set of policies, strategies, and practices are adopted across agencies,” they said.