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• Rod Beckstrom is a technology entrepreneur and author, who was chosen in March 2008 to direct the newly-created National Cybersecurity Center at the Department of Homeland Security. On March 5, 2009, he resigned, citing difficulties with the NSA and funding shortfalls.USA Today: National cybersecurity director resigns; cites roadblocks (March 9, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Education: BA, MBA, Stanford UniversityBeckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom
  2. co-authored The Starfish and the SpiderBeckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom
  3. Started CAT-S Software, Inc., at 24Beckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom
  4. Co-founded Mergent SystemsBeckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom
  5. Chairman of Privada, Inc., 1999-2001Beckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom
  6. Appointed to the directorship by Michael Chertoff on March 7, 2008Homeland Security: Director, National Cybersecurity Center Rod Beckstrom
  7. Was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of St. Gallen, SwitzerlandBeckstrom.com: Biography of Rod Beckstrom

• Beckstrom and the NCSC

  Beckstrom joined the Bush administration's Department of Homeland Security in March of 2008, to create a new inter-agency group to coordinate information sharing about cyber attacks. From the start, concerns about how the new department would fit in with other parts of DHS. Beckstrom was not a cybersecurity expert, but was apparently chosen for his private sector background, and his management abilities.Washington Post: White House Taps Tech Entrepreneur For Cyber Defense Post (March 19, 2008)

  When he resigned in March 2009, Beckstrom objected to the plan to relocated his office to Ft. Meade, the headquarters of the National Security Agency. In his resignation letter, he said that the NSA was dominating the National Cybersecurity Center, and that to allow the NSA to run the NCSC was a bad strategy.Network World: Rod Beckstrom resigns as director of National Cybersecurity Center (March 9, 2009)

  The resignation comes during the new Obama administration's broad-ranging review of how well the government is using technology to protect national security, financial systems and air traffic control.Huffington Post: Rod Beckstrom, Top US Cybersecurity Official, Resigns Amid Turf Battles (March 6, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security | Obama Administration | Janet Napolitano | Michael Chertoff

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