Retired Air Force Brigadier Gen. Gregory Touhill just got a promotion.

The White House has named Touhill as the first ever federal chief information security officer, a role that is focused on bolstering the U.S. government’s digital defenses. The Obama administration first announced the creation of the position in February as part of a $19 billion “cybersecurity national action plan” that included IT investments and new hires.

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Touhill currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications within the Department of Homeland Security. In the new job, he will report to Tony Scott, the federal chief information officer and former executive at business software company VMware (VMW).

Touhill will lead a team within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget “that conducts periodic cyberstat reviews with federal agencies to insure that implementation plans are effective and achieve the desired outcomes,” said Scott, the U.S. info chief, and Michael Daniel, U.S. cybersecurity coordinator, in a jointly authored blog post announcing the news. Touhill will be responsible for “helping to ensure the right set of policies, strategies, and practices are adopted across agencies,” they said.

Reuters first reported the news of Touhill’s hire moments before the Obama administration published its blog post.

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Touhill, who joined the military more than three decades ago, has led teams at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, at the Air Force’s Central Command, and at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. You can read more about his bio on the U.S. Air Force website here.

In a post on Twitter, Richard Bejtlich, chief security strategist at the cybersecurity firm FireEye (FEYE), questioned the longevity of Touhill’s tenure in the face of an upcoming presidential election. “First reaction: will he survive election? Is he an appointee or bureaucrat? Latter might increase staying power,” he said.

The appointment is political, a White House spokesperson clarified in an email to Fortune, meaning that Touhill may serve only briefly in the position because of President Obama’s limited time remaining in office.

The Obama administration also appointed Grant Schneider, cybersecurity policy director on the White House’s National Security Council, as Tuohill’s acting deputy information security chief—a career role, in contrast to Touhill’s. Schneider previously spent seven years as the chief information officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The pair will likely start in their new roles later this month, a person familiar with the hirings told Fortune.

This story has been updated with additional information from the White House. </s> WASHINGTON—The White House on Thursday named a retired U.S. Air Force general as the government's first federal cyber security chief, a position announced eight months ago that is intended to improve defenses against hackers.

Gregory Touhill's job will be to protect government networks and critical infrastructure from cyber threats as federal chief information security officer, according to a statement.

The Obama administration has made bolstering federal cyber security a top priority of the president's last year in office. The issue has gained more attention due to high-profile breaches in recent years against the government and private sector.

Most recently U.S. intelligence officials have suspected Russia is responsible for breaches of Democratic political organizations and state election systems. They believe it may be trying to exert influence over the U.S. presidential election, a charge the Kremlin has denied.

President Barack Obama announced the new position in February alongside a budget proposal to Congress asking for $19 billion for cyber security across the U.S. government.

Touhill is currently a deputy assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at the Department of Homeland Security.

He will begin his new role later this month, a source familiar with the matter said.

Grant Schneider, who is the director of cyber security policy at the White House's National Security Council, will be acting deputy to Touhill, according to the announcement. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday named a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general as the government’s first federal cyber security chief, a position announced eight months ago that is intended to improve defenses against hackers.

Gregory Touhill’s job will be to protect government networks and critical infrastructure from cyber threats as federal chief information security officer, according to a statement.

The administration of President Barack Obama has made bolstering federal cyber security a top priority in his last year in office. The issue has gained more attention because of high-profile breaches in recent years of government and private sector computers.

U.S. intelligence officials suspect Russia was responsible for breaches of Democratic political organizations and state election systems to exert influence on the Nov. 8 presidential election. Russia has dismissed the allegations as absurd.

Obama announced the new position in February alongside a budget proposal to Congress asking for $19 billion for cyber security across the U.S. government. The job is a political appointment, meaning Obama’s successor can choose to replace Touhill after being sworn in next January.

Touhill is currently a deputy assistant secretary for cyber security and communications at the Department of Homeland Security.

He will begin his new role later this month, a source familiar with the matter said. Touhill’s responsibilities will include creating and implementing policy for best security practices across federal agencies and conducting periodic audits to test for weaknesses, according to the announcement.

Grant Schneider, who is the director of cyber security policy at the White House’s National Security Council, will be acting deputy to Touhill, according to the announcement. </s> In February, President Obama announced a Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) that takes a series of short-term and long-term actions to improve our cybersecurity posture within the Federal Government and across the country. The CNAP builds upon a comprehensive series of actions over the last nearly eight years that have fundamentally shifted the way we approach security in the digital age and raised the level of cybersecurity across the country.

Over the last year alone we’ve made significant progress. For example, we’ve:

established the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, consisting of top strategic, business, and technical thinkers from outside the government to make critical recommendations on actions that can be taken over the next decade to strengthen cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors while protecting privacy and public safety;

proposed legislation to establish a $3.1 billion Information Technology Modernization Fund (ITMF) to modernize government IT and retire and replace legacy IT that is difficult to secure and expensive to maintain;

directed implementation of a Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan (CSIP) for the Federal civilian government as well as the first-ever Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Strategy to identify, recruit, develop, retain, and expand the pipeline of the best, brightest, and most diverse cybersecurity talent for Federal service and for our Nation.

While we’ve seen progress, and as the President has made clear on many occasions, there’s much more to do. That’s why today we are proud to announce Brigadier General (retired) Gregory J. Touhill as the first Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

A key feature of the CNAP is creation of the first CISO to drive cybersecurity policy, planning, and implementation across the Federal Government. General Touhill is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he focuses on the development and implementation of operational programs designed to protect our government networks and critical infrastructure. In his new role as Federal CISO, Greg will leverage his considerable experience in managing a range of complex and diverse technical solutions at scale with his strong knowledge of both civilian and military best practices, capabilities, and human capital training, development and retention strategies. Greg will lead a strong team within OMB who have been at the forefront of driving policy and implementation of leading cyber practices across federal agencies, and is the team that conducts periodic cyberstat reviews with federal agencies to insure that implementation plans are effective and achieve the desired outcomes.

In addition to the naming the first Federal CISO, we are also proud to announce Grant Schneider as the Acting Deputy CISO. In creating the CISO role, and looking at successful organizational models across government, it became apparent that having a career role partnered with a senior official is not only the norm but also provides needed continuity over time. Grant currently serves as the Director for Cybersecurity Policy on the National Security Council staff at the White House where he focuses on development and oversight of cybersecurity policies to protect government data, networks, and systems, and brings over 20 years of technical skills to the role.

Strong cybersecurity depends on robust policies, secure networks and systems and, importantly, a cadre of highly skilled cybersecurity talent. Building on the Cybersecurity Workforce Strategy to identify, recruit, and retain top talent, the CISO will play a central role in helping to ensure the right set of policies, strategies, and practices are adopted across agencies and keeping the Federal Government at the leading edge of 21st century cybersecurity.

Tony Scott is the U.S. Chief Information Officer.

J. Michael Daniel is Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator.

Also see: </s> United States Secret Service director Joseph Clancy announced his retirement Tuesday, two years after he was appointed to the position by President Barack Obama. Clancy informed White House officials last week of his intention to step down, effective March 4, the Washington Post reported .

Start the conversation, or Read more at WFTV Orlando. </s> PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump has announced Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as the new national security adviser, and Gen. Keith Kellogg remains the National Security Council chief of staff.

The President made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort. </s> U.S. President Donald Trump has tapped Army Lt. Gen. H R McMaster, a prominent military strategist known as a creative thinker, as his new national security adviser, replacing the ousted Michael Flynn. Trump announced the pick Monday at his Palm Beach, Florida, club and said McMaster is “a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.” Sitting next to Trump for the announcement, McMaster said he was honoured to take on the role and added that he looks forward to “doing everything that I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people.”

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The president’s choice further elevates the influence of military officers in the new administration. Trump, who has no military or foreign policy experience, has shown a strong preference for putting generals in top roles. In this case, he tapped an active-duty officer for a post that’s sometimes used as a counterweight to the Pentagon. McMaster, who wore his uniform for the announcement, joins Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, both retired generals, in Trump’s inner circle of national security advisers.

The White House said Monday McMaster plans to remain on active military duty.

He will take on the challenge of leading a National Security Council that has not adjusted smoothly to Trump’s leadership. The president suggested he does not trust holdovers from the Obama administration and complained about leaks to reporters. His decision to put his top political adviser on the senior committee of the National Security Council drew sharp criticism. On Friday, the head of the council’s Western Hemisphere division was fired after he criticised Trump’s policies and his inner circle of advisers.

Trump said Monday that retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who had been his acting adviser, will now serve as the National Security Council chief of staff. He also said he would be asking John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to work with them in a “somewhat different capacity.”

McMaster is viewed as soldier-scholar and creative thinker. He has a doctoral degree in history from the University of North Carolina and has been heavily involved in the Army’s efforts to shape its future force and its way of preparing for war. He is the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, a sort of military think tank, at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Outside of the Army, he may be best known for his 1997 book, “Dereliction of Duty,” a searing indictment of the U.S. government’s mishandling of the Vietnam War and an analysis of what he called the “lies that led to Vietnam.” The book earned him a reputation for being willing to speak truth to power.

McMaster commanded troops in both American wars in Iraq — in 1991, when he fought in a storied tank battle known as the Battle for 73 Easting, and again in 2005-2006 in one of the most violent periods of the insurgency that developed after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. He is credited with using innovative approaches to countering the insurgency in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar when he commanded the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He later served as a special adviser to the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

McMaster was Trump’s second choice to replace Flynn, who has been under FBI investigation for his contacts with Russian officials. Trump dismissed Flynn last week after revelations that the adviser had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his discussion with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential transition. Trump said in a news conference Thursday that he was disappointed by how Flynn had treated Pence, but did not believe Flynn had done anything wrong by having the conversations.

Trump’s first choice to replace Flynn, retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, turned down the offer.

Trump announced his choice sitting between McMaster and Kellogg in a luxurious living room at the resort property. The president told reporters that Vice President Mike Pence had been involved in the process, but he did not elaborate.

Trump brought four candidates for the position to Mar-a-Lago over the weekend for in-person interviews, McMaster among them. McMaster called the appointment a “privilege.”

It was not clear how closely McMaster’s and Trump’s views align. On Russia, McMaster appears to hold a much dimmer view than Trump of Moscow’s military and political objectives in Europe.

In remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in May 2016, McMaster said Russia managed to annex Crimea and intervene militarily in eastern Ukraine “at zero cost” from the international community.

McMaster said Moscow’s broader goal is to “collapse the post-Cold War security, economic and political order in Europe and replace that order with something that is more sympathetic to Russian interests.”

In his current role, McMaster has been studying the way Russia developed and executed its campaigns in Crimea and Ukraine, where it used what some call “hybrid warfare” — part political, part disinformation, part military.

`”He is a man of genuine intellect, character, and ability. He knows how to succeed,” he said in a statement. “I give President Trump great credit for this decision, as well as his national security Cabinet choices.”

The position of national security adviser does not require Senate confirmation. </s> US President Donald Trump named Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security advisor on Monday (20 February). He replaces Michael Flynn who resigned last week over a potentially illegal phone call he made to the Russian ambassador before taking office.

Two other candidates interviewed for the position on Sunday were former Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, and Superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Calsen Jr.

Trump named McMaster at the Mar-a-Lago resort that has been the subject of some security concerns itself, after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were photographed by members discussing international security issues in a crowded restaurant.

McMaster is described by the New York Times as "one of the army's leading intellectuals", known for his criticism of senior military staff during the Vietnam war and the handling of the invasion of Iraq. Trump described McMaster as "a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience".

Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who had been serving as acting national security advisor after Flynn's departure, will return to his role as chief of staff of the National Security Council (NSC). In late January, Trump reshuffled the council to give a permanent seat to his chief strategist, former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon.

The previous national security advisor, Michael Flynn, came under fire when it was reported that he conducted a phone call with the Russian ambassador in which he discussed lifting US sanctions on the country. The conversation took place before Flynn had taken office, and under US law private citizens cannot engage in foreign policy.

The scandal also indicated rifts in the administration, with Vice President Mike Pence having publicly defended Flynn against the accusations while the Justice Department had already warned the White House that there were security concerns over Flynn. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has chosen a decorated and outspoken Army lieutenant general to be his next national security adviser.

He announced his selection of Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster for the job Monday, after retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was forced to resign only weeks into the job.

“He is a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience,” Trump said of McMaster while announcing the appointment Monday in Palm Beach, Florida.

A graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, McMaster commanded troops during the first Gulf War, receiving the Silver Star for his role commanding a tank during the Battle of 73 Easting, one of the biggest tank battles since World War II.

McMaster is also known for his intellectual pursuits, receiving a PhD in history from the University of North Carolina. In 1997 he also wrote a book taking the military to task for aspects of its public posture during the Vietnam War.

“I’d just like to say what a privilege it is to be able to continue serving our nation,” McMaster said while appearing alongside Trump. “I’m grateful to you for that opportunity. And I look forward to joining the national security team and doing everything I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people.”

Trump was also flanked by the acting national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg. Kellogg, a decorated Vietnam veteran and campaign adviser to Trump, will return to his duties as chief of staff of the National Security Council.

McMaster, currently serving as the director of the Army’s Capabilities Integration Center, is the first active-duty military officer to take the post since Gen. Colin Powell served in the role during the final years of the Reagan administration. As an active-duty service member, McMaster would likely have had difficulty turning down a job the commander in chief had asked him to fill.

His book, “Dereliction of Duty,” examined the military’s failure to communicate to US policymakers that America’s Vietnam War strategy was not working.

Retired Col. Cedric Leighton called the book “one of the great works to come out of military thinkers in the last two decades.”

“He talked about, in essence, the military’s responsibility to talk to civilian leaders, to challenge the status quo, and I think that’s what we need in the White House,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto. “I think it’s a great pick.”

McMaster redeployed to Iraq following the 2003 invasion, receiving praise for his command of US troops during efforts to secure Tal Afar from insurgents.

He was key in the development of the military’s counterinsurgency doctrine under Gen. David Petraeus, serving as his special assistant while Petraeus commanded US troops in Iraq from 2007 to 2008. Some of the counterinsurgency tactics he pioneered formed the backbone of the 2007 “surge” of additional American forces for the Iraq war effort, stabilizing the country and tamping down increasing violence.

He also deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and oversaw military planning and anti-corruption efforts.

McMaster was named to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2014.

“McMaster might be the 21st century Army’s pre-eminent warrior-thinker,” Ret. Lt. Gen. David Barno wrote of McMaster in an accompanying profile.

He went on to call him “the rarest of soldiers — one who repeatedly bucked the system and survived to join its senior ranks.”

“I watched senior Army generals argue over ways to end his career,” Barno added. “But he dodged those bullets.”

While praised publicly by many of his military colleagues, McMaster has a reputation for speaking his mind within military ranks, causing some to wonder if that’s why he wasn’t promoted more rapidly.

Some believe his advancement was met with some resistance in part because of his willingness to write publicly about military strategy and having such a high public profile while serving, something not necessarily encouraged within the ranks.

But Sen. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee and sometimes-Trump critic, offered a quick endorsement of his selection, calling him “an outstanding choice for national security adviser.”

“I have had the honor of knowing him for many years, and he is a man of genuine intellect, character and ability. He knows how to succeed,” McCain said in a statement, adding, “I give President Trump great credit for this decision.”

Leighton told CNN: “I do wonder if the President thought that this was somebody who could shake things up, but shake things up in a way where the institutions would survive so they would become more effective.”
The Obama administration chooses retired United States Air Force Brigadier General Gregory Touhill the first federal CISO chief, who reports to the CIO of the U.S. Tony Scott.