U.S. Chief Information Officer Tony Scott said at a Passcode-hosted event Tuesday the White House could appoint a federal chief information officer within the next 30 days, The Christian Science Monitor reported Wednesday.
Jack Detsch writes Scott added the White House has identified potential candidates for the CISO position that will involve responsibility for overseeing and managing cybersecurity of federal networks.
During the Passcode forum, he also noted the government needs cybersecurity professionals who know foreign languages and with background in the cultural anthropology and biology areas, the report said.
His remarks come five months after the Office of Personnel Management posted an opening on USAJobs for a new agency CISO to help develop and implement information technology risk reduction policies for the government’s cybersecurity programs.
The OPM CISO will also oversee data privacy initiatives as well as access and identity management activities at the agency.