National cybersecurity authorities push for consistency and responsibility in the role of the country's National Cyber Director

The White House has confirmed Chris Inglis as its nominee for National Cyber Director, a role that was established in the executive branch by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This appointment comes after a period without a national cyber coordinator, a position that was eliminated by former President Donald Trump in 2018.

Inglis is set to take over the responsibility from the role, with Anne Neuberger, the current Deputy National Security Advisor, being his close collaborator. Neuberger, too, has a significant role in cybersecurity, serving in the White House.

The creation of the National Cyber Director role was a primary recommendation of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a bipartisan congressional commission tasked with exploring and recommending solutions to secure the nation's digital infrastructure. The nomination of Inglis and Jen Easterly, who has been confirmed as the director of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is expected to be approved bipartisanly.

Easterly's appointment at CISA and Inglis' at the National Cyber Director role signal a greater federal focus on cybersecurity. However, challenges remain. Congress is open to iterating on the challenges posed by cybersecurity, but needs authorities to move legislation at a quicker pace.

Convincing leadership to adopt more agile, flexible programmatic architectures is necessary to evolve with cyberthreats in private industry. Transitioning away from existing cybersecurity approaches is difficult due to the work, investment, and constituencies involved. Ending old initiatives is more of a challenge than beginning new ones, according to Brandon Wales, acting director of CISA.

The national cyber director role will be wrapped into the intelligence and Department of Defense authorities under Title 10 and Title 50. This integration aims to provide the executive voice needed for coordination in cybersecurity. The Biden's National Security Council is filled with professionals with cyber-specific backgrounds, further emphasising the administration's commitment to cybersecurity.

However, concerns have been raised about the National Cyber Director becoming an uber-CISA director. Suzanne Spaulding, a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, expressed these concerns. Rep. Mike Gallagher, co-chair of the CSC, stated that it's important for the director to be a productive partner between Congress and the White House in cybersecurity.

Despite these challenges, the appointment of Inglis and Easterly is a significant step forward in the US's efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity defences. As the nation grapples with increasingly sophisticated cyberthreats, the work of these appointees will be crucial in protecting the nation's digital infrastructure.

National cybersecurity authorities push for consistency and responsibility in the role of the country's National Cyber Director