p2pnet news view Security | P2P:- The pic on the right is a clip from Ellen Nakashima’s photo to her Washington Post story on the impending appointment of a US ‘cyber czar’.

It features “defense analyst’ Daniel Ragoza as he, “investigates intrusions into military and contractors’ networks”.

Would someone such as Daniel have fingered Gary McKinnon, the UK hacker who, looking for material on UFOs, penetrated US systems, and who’s now  fighting extradition to America? (And isn’t that a Darth Vadar look-alike on the screen?)

Be that as it may, the Obama government cyber cop will have, “broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation’s government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan,” says the Washington Post, going on:

“The adviser will have the most comprehensive mandate granted to such an official to date and will probably be a member of the National Security Council but will report to the national security adviser as well as the senior White House economic adviser, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are not final.”

The announcement will coincide with the release of a report evaluating US “cybersecurity initiatives and policies,” says the story.

“The report recommends that members be appointed to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent executive branch agency created by Congress in 2007 to ensure that privacy concerns are considered in the implementation of counterterrorism policies and laws.”

Interim White House cybersecurity adviser and former intelligence official Melissa Hathaway is a contender for the new position, adds the story.

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Washington Post – Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate, May 26, 2009
Gary McKinnon – New Gary McKinnon petition online, May 17, 2009