One might reasonably expect the White House’s cybersecurity coordinator to know a thing or two about IT. But according to Michael Daniel, his lack of technical expertise actually gives him an advantage over someone with higher technical qualifications. In a recent interview with GovInfoSecurity, Daniel said you don’t have to be a coder in order to really do well in his position. He added that being too down in the weeds at the technical level could actually be a little bit of a distraction. At a very fundamental level, cybersecurity isn’t just about the technology but it’s also about the economics of cybersecurity, Daniel noted.
In much the same way that the best heart surgeons have never studied medicine and Supreme Court judges have never really read the law, Michael Daniel, the White House’s cybersecurity co-ordinator thinks that “being too down in the weeds at the technical level could actually be a little bit of a distraction” in his position. In an interview with Gov Info Security, Daniel explained that “[y]ou can get enamored with the very detailed aspects of some of the technical solutions. And, particularly here at the White House … the real issue is to look at the broad, strategic picture and the impact that technology will have.” Which is kinda true, I suppose. He went on to add that “at a very fundamental level, cybersecurity isn’t just about the technology but it’s also about the economics of cybersecurity” before explaining that he doesn’t “have to be a coder in order to do really well.” Which is also… kinda true but perhaps best left unsaid. It’s a bit like a senior surgeon explaining that they don’t know how to use a scalpel or a world-renowned judge admitting that they’re a little shaky on the Fourth Amendment.
