US Senate confirms new national cyber director

PHOTO CAPTION: A member of the Arkansas Air National Guard assesses real-world cyber threats, Dec. 5, 2021, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. (Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Porter via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Harry Coker Jr. as the second-ever national cyber director, who advises the president on cybersecurity policy and strategy.

Coker’s appointment comes as the U.S. faces a growing myriad of cyberthreats, including a U.S. presidential election next year that many experts believe will be targeted by foreign government hackers. Coker told Senators during his confirmation hearing that he saw his office having a “supporting role” to local and state governments in protecting their elections.

Coker enters the White House with four decades of experience in government. A former Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency executive, he began his public service as a Naval officer. His most recent position was as an operating partner at C5 Capital, a London-based venture capital firm which invests in technology companies, according to an online biography.

During the Biden administration, Washington has dealt with several major hacks within federal agencies, including a reported Chinese intrusion campaign in July against senior State Department and Commerce Department officials.

The National Cyber Director role was created through the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the military’s annual budget bill, following a massive hack of government systems known as Solarburst. It replaced a prior position known as the White House cyber coordinator, which served a similar purpose but had less federal authorities. The first National Cyber Director, Chris Inglis, stepped down from the position in February.



(Reporting by Christopher Bing; Editing by Daniel Wallis)