Hathaway Resigns from White House

The Wall Street Journal reported this afternoon that acting cybersecurity czar Melissa Hathaway has resigned from her post for personal reasons. Hathaway led the Obama administration's 60-day review of cybersecurity and was thought to be a leading contender for the permanent cybersecurity position, but reports emerged in June that she was no longer a front-runner. Hathaway told the Journal that she took her name out of the running for the job two weeks ago.

With Hathaway stepping aside, that leaves two names we've heard tossed around as leading candidates: Frank Kramer assistant defense secretary in the Clinton administration and Howard Schmidt, former White House cybersecurity advisor. The position has suffered a hit in terms of its profile as the ongoing turf war over which agency will oversee cyberspace has continued this summer. Some have even said "no thank you" to the job.

However, we hear an announcement may be coming in the next couple weeks.

A White House official confirmed that Hathaway would be staying on as acting senior director for cyberspace until Aug. 21. They also sent along the following statement:

We are grateful for her dedicated service and for the significant progress she and her team have made on our national cybersecurity strategy.

Cybersecurity is a major priority for the president, which is why shortly after taking office he directed his National Security Council and Homeland Security Council to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the federal government's efforts to defend our information and communications infrastructure and to recommend the best way to secure these networks and our prosperity. The White House released the report and announced the creation of a cybersecurity coordinator who will have direct access to the president and that the Obama administration is pursuing a new comprehensive approach to securing America's digital infrastructure. The President is personally committed to finding the right person for this job, and a rigorous selection process is well underway.