Posted by SecExtra on January 14th, 2010

After months of searching, President Obama finally found the right man for the cybersecurity tsar job. Former eBay and Microsoft executive Howard Schmidt has been dealt a challenging task that many others opted not to take.

He believes he is prepared for the position after gaining 40 years of experience in government, business and law enforcement. There is no question the digital world brings tremendous opportunities, but also grave danger for the national security and overall public safety. This is precisely what Schmidt will be working to defend.

Schmidt has become the country’s first cybersecurity coordinator. While many are pleased with the decision, there is still a bit of disbelief that it took so long to fill the position. Regardless, it is comforting knowing someone with so much senior government experience and industry experience will be behind the country watching and protecting the cyber world.

Schmidt did serve under President George W Bush for three years while reviewing how to improve network security for government agencies, the private sector and citizens. There is no question this will be a difficult job to provide economic prosperity, national security and public safety.

With his position, he will be asked to develop a new comprehensive strategy to secure American networks. This will include “ensuring an organized, unified response to the future cyber incidents, strengthening public/private partnerships, promoting research and development for the next generation of technologies and leading a national campaign of cybersecurity, awareness and education.”

There is no question technology is continuously developing and expanding. As opportunities develop, the government and public safety has become more and more vulnerable. This is precisely why it is reassuring to know President Obama has taken a step forward with the hiring of Howard Schmidt as the country’s first cybersecurity coordinator.