Exnsa Chris Inglis Congressgellerpolitico –
The U.S. Senate voted to approve Chris Inglis as the new top cyber adviser for Vice President Joe Biden, according to a report from Politico.
Chris Inglis is currently the president of cyber risk management firm MWR InfoSecurity and will lead the office at Biden’s security detail in charge of protecting Biden and his family.
In a written statement on Friday, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Inglis was “the right person at the right time.”
“The president has made it clear that cybersecurity is a top priority, and I commend this nomination,” Carper said.
In addition to his current role at MWR InfoSecurity, Inglis was also the former deputy director of the National Security Agency, where he led its Threat Operations Center. He joined the NSA in 1988.
Inglis has also served as the vice president and chief technology officer of Verizon Business, as well as the chief technical officer of the Florida-based defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp.
President Obama announced Inglis’ nomination in July, saying his “deep experience with cybersecurity issues and strong track record working on behalf of our national security” would be a strong addition to Biden’s team.
The Senate approved Inglis 55 to 42 during a voice vote.
The position of cyber coordinator was last held by Howard Schmidt, who left in August. The White House has not yet named a new national cyber coordinator.
Senior administration officials told Politico that Schmidt was the last person to hold the position on a permanent basis and it is unclear whether or not the position will continue to exist in the future.
“Currently, it’s still a very important role for us and we’re going to determine how best to fill that role,” an unnamed senior administration official told Politico on Friday. “We’re continuing to evaluate these processes.”
The position was first created by former President George W. Bush via an executive order in 2001. It has previously gone unfilled during President Obama’s tenure.
In February, Deputy U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told Reuters that the cyber coordinator position was expected to be filled by the end of the year.
“It’s understaffed at times,” Shanahan said. “We need to make sure we do it effectively.”
