The US Needs a Cybersecurity Czar Now

[Commentary] There's been a lot of discussion lately about the need for a national cybersecurity czar. The need for the Obama Administration to fill this role has only become more pressing after the recent resignation of Melissa Hathaway, acting senior director for cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security councils. Much of the public discussion over the official's role has focused on protecting the nation's infrastructure and military networks. There's been less attention paid to the theft of intellectual property—a strategic problem greatly misunderstood and significantly underestimated. Addressing these problems encompasses technology investment, policy and process change, new legislation, interagency cooperation (at all levels of government), international treaties, and a level of government and industry collaboration heretofore unseen. It will require balancing our nation's security needs with operational and fiscal realities—a complicated, but possible, mission.