Tillerson proposes new unified bureau to focus on cybersecurity

[Meanwhile + 49]

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is proposing the consolidation of two separate offices at the State Department to form a single bureau that will focus on a wide range of cyber issues. The decision comes after Tillerson faced scrutiny from both parties last year over his decision to fold the standalone Office of Cybersecurity Coordinator into an economic-focused bureau as part of his broad efforts to reorganize the agency.

[Stephen + 67]

Does re-organization enable anything that can't be done when cybersecurity and economics are separate? What prevents expected benefits from happening with the current separate departments? I see a great need for diplomatic cybersecurity, but wonder if this is little more than re-arranging the deck chairs

[Joanna + 68]

But lawmakers, including the Republican chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees, are pushing back and moving forward with a bill they say would better position an embattled cyber role within the department’s hierarchy. Chairman Ed Royce said he would like to move forward with the Cyber Diplomacy Act.

 

[Stephen + 67]

so if both Republicans and Democrats are against Tillerson's initiative, and the bill was passed the House last September, why is he pushing for it? I don't get it

[Missy + 43]

12 minutes ago, Stephen said:

so if both Republicans and Democrats are against Tillerson's initiative, and the bill was passed the House last September, why is he pushing for it? I don't get it

I'm not sure both sides are against it, they are probably just lobbying to decide under whose purview the new consolidated agency will fall. Just politics, as usual... sigh. It's only about a decade late to get serious about cybersecurity. And only a bazillion years late that someone at least attempts to eliminate some redundancies in government. These two agencies seem like they would step on each other's toes. As times and needs change, so must government. Adapt or die. Down with the old way of doing things.

[JohnAtronis + 78]

Whether R or D, United States should innovate and build on economic and social cyber platforms. Countries that willfully ignore technology will fall behind. The day you stop innovating is the first day on the path to becoming obsolete.