Former NSA Director, Microsoft Exec Named to Cybersecurity Board

President Barack Obama announced the members of his Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, which includes private industry leaders, academics and one prominent former government official. 

The Obama administration announced plans to launch the Commission when it unveiled its cybersecurity budget proposal in February. The Commission’s goal is to recommend actions that can be taken by the federal government and private sector over the next decade to enhance cybersecurity while protecting privacy, fostering development of new technologies and promoting cooperation between government and industry. “I have charged the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity with the critically-important task of identifying the steps that our nation must take to ensure our cybersecurity in an increasingly digital world," Obama said in a statement. "These dedicated individuals bring a wealth of experience and talent to this important role, and I look forward to receiving the Commission's recommendations.”

The most prominent member is Gen. Keith Alexander (Ret.), the former director of the National Security Agency from 2005 to 2014. The NSA is the premier code-breaking agency in the federal government but its massive phone and Internet surveillance operations were revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Other members of the Commission include MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga; Peter Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft Research; Joe Sullivan, chief security officer at Uber; and several academics, including Herbert Lin of Stanford University and Annie Antón of the Georgia Institute of Technology.