Lieberman sees need for cybersecurity czar

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., on Friday outlined his plans for cybersecurity legislation, which will support the naming of a White House adviser to coordinate efforts across the federal government.

Lieberman's backing for a presidential cybersecurity adviser, which some have called a cybersecurity "czar," puts him at odds with the top Republican on his committee, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. But he said he is in talks with Collins over the legislation and hopes to get her support for a bill they can introduce as co-sponsors by December.

Lieberman, speaking at an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said he plans to invest the White House coordinator with the authority to oversee cybersecurity budgets and spending by federal agencies, including the Defense Department.

"We need this kind of position in the White House specifically to ensure that the classified work conducted by Department of Defense and intelligence agencies is informing the defensive actions taken by our domestic agencies," Lieberman said in his prepared remarks. "Only the office of the president has the authority to ensure that everyone is working off the same playbook."

In a move likely to please information technology companies, Lieberman said his bill would not give the Homeland Security Department the power to place mandates on the private sector.

"Under my plan, DHS would establish a voluntary cybersecurity standards program and encourage members of the private sector to implement those standards through a certification program," he said.

Collins, who has been drafting her own cybersecurity bill, has expressed concern about what she sees as a proliferation of czars within the Obama administration. She fears they will not be accountable to Congress.

She has said her bill would give Homeland Security primary authority to protect federal civilian networks.

Lieberman said he hopes to address her concerns by defining the roles and responsibilities of a White House coordinator in statutory form and requiring that the position be confirmed by the Senate.

President Obama has pledged to appoint a White House adviser, but has not named anyone to the post.

Lieberman said his bill would give Homeland Security the necessary authority and personnel to monitor federal civilian networks and defend against attacks. The department would be required to develop a "two-way information sharing system" to receive information about vulnerabilities and breaches from private companies and share threat information with them.

He also is working with Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Federal Financial Management Subcommittee Chairman Thomas Carper, D-Del., to include changes to the Federal Information Security Management Act in the bill.

In addition, the bill would require new government acquisition policies for information technology systems and address the challenges agencies face in hiring, retaining and training cybersecurity personnel, Lieberman said.