Christopher Krebs at DHS-NPPD
Today marked the confirmation hearing for President Trump's choice to head the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This little-known government agency position is one of the more important sub-agency spots in the Federal Government, and Christopher Krebs, the man chosen by Trump, is widely respected in Washington circles. NPPD is vitally important because, among other things, it is tasked with working with the50 states to protect election infrastructure, both traditional and cyber, from domestic and foreign attack. This sub-agency position, like so many others in the Trump Administration, has not been filled with a permanent official. Krebs has been serving in an interim capacity since last autumn, and today marks, it appears, the beginning of his ascension to full-time chief.
Krebs seemed to garner bipartisan support in his hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Members from both parties praised his work to date, both in the private sector as a Government Affairs Manager for Microsoft, and in his role as an interim chief. The chances are that he'll be approved by the Committee, and then his nomination will advance to the full Senate for vetting and likely approval.
Once he's taken his position as full-time head of NPPD, Krebs will face a whole slew of contentious and urgent issues. His task will be made all the daunting by the fact that he has only 10 to 15 people working full-time on the election security issue, even though its one of the most important tasks of the NPPD. Other disturbing facts came out during the hearings. Only 9 out of 50 states so far, for example, have asked for threat assessments and system integrity analysis from the Federal Government. And Krebs also made clear that NPPD has in the last few months engaged in serious and unresolved turf wars with other government entities, including the Department of Justice and all of the intelligence agencies, over basic jurisdiction over election security.
These and other significant problems face NPPD in the run-up to the midterm elections, which is now just a hair over six months away. There appears to be a certain stasis settling in on the issue in both Congress and the Executive Branch, despite the incontestable fact that foreign elements interfered in our election in 2016, and previously. Meanwhile, our cyber capabilities and infrastructure remain remarkably fragile, as taxpayers discovered last week in the wake of the IRS's computer snafu. And the IRS system melt-down was only the last of many similar well-publicized data and system architecture imbroglios, dating back at least to the Equifax debacle of a few years back..
Krebs confirmation hearing suggests that there will soon be a capable man at the head of NPPD. It also reveals that this is merely a small first step in solving what is probably a top-five issue in importance facing the nation. Election hacks and consistent data breaches prove this to be so. Mr, Krebs will likely be confirmed soon, but that is just the beginning of a solution to this vexing problem facing the nation. Bipartisan and consistent policy-making will still have to come to the fore.
And don't hold your breath on that happening, even with the mid-term election right around the corner.
Krebs seemed to garner bipartisan support in his hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Members from both parties praised his work to date, both in the private sector as a Government Affairs Manager for Microsoft, and in his role as an interim chief. The chances are that he'll be approved by the Committee, and then his nomination will advance to the full Senate for vetting and likely approval.
Once he's taken his position as full-time head of NPPD, Krebs will face a whole slew of contentious and urgent issues. His task will be made all the daunting by the fact that he has only 10 to 15 people working full-time on the election security issue, even though its one of the most important tasks of the NPPD. Other disturbing facts came out during the hearings. Only 9 out of 50 states so far, for example, have asked for threat assessments and system integrity analysis from the Federal Government. And Krebs also made clear that NPPD has in the last few months engaged in serious and unresolved turf wars with other government entities, including the Department of Justice and all of the intelligence agencies, over basic jurisdiction over election security.
These and other significant problems face NPPD in the run-up to the midterm elections, which is now just a hair over six months away. There appears to be a certain stasis settling in on the issue in both Congress and the Executive Branch, despite the incontestable fact that foreign elements interfered in our election in 2016, and previously. Meanwhile, our cyber capabilities and infrastructure remain remarkably fragile, as taxpayers discovered last week in the wake of the IRS's computer snafu. And the IRS system melt-down was only the last of many similar well-publicized data and system architecture imbroglios, dating back at least to the Equifax debacle of a few years back..
Krebs confirmation hearing suggests that there will soon be a capable man at the head of NPPD. It also reveals that this is merely a small first step in solving what is probably a top-five issue in importance facing the nation. Election hacks and consistent data breaches prove this to be so. Mr, Krebs will likely be confirmed soon, but that is just the beginning of a solution to this vexing problem facing the nation. Bipartisan and consistent policy-making will still have to come to the fore.
And don't hold your breath on that happening, even with the mid-term election right around the corner.
Comments
Post a Comment