The departing head of the United States’ Office of the National Cyber Director has delivered a candid assessment to his future successor under President-elect Trump: Significant cybersecurity challenges still lie ahead.
Addressing the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies yesterday, outgoing National Cyber Director Harry Coker highlighted his office’s achievements over the past four years, while acknowledging that the nation has yet to fully secure its critical infrastructure against cyber threats.
“During our four-year tenure, we have: Tackled emergent threats; adopted a forward-leaning approach to cybersecurity; enhanced coordination between Federal and international initiatives; secured commitments from major technology firms to strengthen their security measures; and confronted persistent challenges that have historically undermined our security posture,” stated Coker, who was the second Senate-confirmed individual to serve in this position.
“We’ve achieved meaningful results,” the departing director remarked, while emphasizing that “substantial work remains ahead.”
Coker specifically highlighted the White House national cybersecurity strategy implemented in 2023, which his office was instrumental in crafting, as a major accomplishment during his tenure. He also cited initiatives to address vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol as another significant achievement.
The director referenced the Service for America campaign launched under his leadership last year, which framed cybersecurity careers as national service, as a success story, though he acknowledged that hundreds of thousands of cybersecurity positions remain vacant.
“In my interactions with leaders across state and local governments, businesses of all sizes, and critical infrastructure operators, the consistent message is clear – there’s an urgent need for more cybersecurity talent,” Coker emphasized.
Looking ahead, Coker expressed hope that the second Trump administration would grant the Office of the National Cyber Director expanded authority over cybersecurity budget allocations across federal agencies.
“My hope for the incoming administration, or any future administration, is that they fully recognize cybersecurity as a top priority,” Coker stated to reporters at yesterday’s event. “Every department and agency must embrace this responsibility. When it comes to cybersecurity budgets, we need to move beyond merely providing guidance.”
He spoke candidly about the cybersecurity landscape in the United States, expressing particular concern regarding recent cyber infiltrations targeting domestic telecommunications infrastructure.
The impact of these warnings remains uncertain. Consider Verizon, one of several US telecommunications providers compromised by the Chinese-affiliated Salt Typhoon group, which recently secured a contract to modernize cellular networks across 35 US Air Force installations.
Similarly, Microsoft, a major supplier to numerous government agencies, has faced criticism from US cybersecurity officials for security inadequacies that enabled a China-linked group to infiltrate Exchange Online and access high-ranking government officials’ emails. Nevertheless, substantial government contracts continue to flow toward the Redmond-based tech giant.
