Thanks, Howard.
Two days ago, President Obama announced that Howard Schmidt would be the new Whitehouse Cybersecurity Coordinator. Howard deserves our thanks for taking the job. It’s arguably the biggest information security job in the world, although it’s neither the most lucrative, nor the most rewarding job in our business. His responsibility will far outweigh his authority, so it will be a miracle if he’s thanked for the job he’s done in 3 years, after the next presidential election. He’s not a cabinet member or a secretary or even a director – he’s a coordinator. He will be tasked with developing a national security plan that also respects individual privacy; something akin to building a perpetual motion machine. Personally, I wondered if I should send him congratulations or condolences for this move.
So why would he do it? Why would anyone do it?
Personally, I would guess that he wanted to serve his country again. Imagine that. After a prestigious 40 year career, spanning government and industry, when he should be settling down, this guy volunteers to go into the political viper’s den (the beltway, not the Whitehouse) and do an impossible job that has no promotion potential. He knows how bad it can be, because he’s been there before, but he signs up anyway. As they say in Philadelphia – go figure.
In these difficult times, there is no shortage of heroes. The spectacular feats of heroism by people fighting against the narco-trafficers in Mexico or those bringing peace and security to other parts of the world might make it hard for people in the technical community to feel like they’re making a difference. In fact, I don’t know of anyone who would compare themselves to these protectors of the free world. But we should also talk about the other people who have shown courage, dedication, and a sense of duty that would bring tears to your eyes.
The next time I think of courage, dedication, and service, I’ll be looking in the direction of Washington, D.C. and remembering a guy named Schmidt, who took on a massive national security problem just because the President called.
Thanks, Howard.
