The
decision was made over a year ago to appoint someone to a new post
within the Department of Homeland Security but no move was made.
Garcia has now been appointed to the post.
The announcement in July of last year created a more senior role
of the person in charge of digital security for the US. That person
would now be an assistant secretary for cybersecurity and
telecommunications.
The post had once reported directly to the President but was
made more junior as physical threats became more pressing in the
aftermath of 2001's terrorist attacks on the US.
Garcia will report to the undersecretary for preparedness, who
along with two other officials reports directly to Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
In December last year, five months after the post was announced
and left unfilled, the Democrats released a report to the House of
Representatives raising concern about the vacancy. It was one of 33
"unfulfilled promises" it listed in its report.
In his new role Garcia will oversee technology security policy.
The Internet Security Alliance estimates that a quarter of the
economic value of the US, equivalent to $3 trillion, passes across
electronic networks in the US every day. With cyber-attacks
becoming ever more sophisticated, Garcia's role will be harder than
ever.
Before joining the Department for Homeland Security, Garcia was
the vice president for information security and programs at the
Information Technology Association of America.
