Acting cybersecurity chief resigns

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The acting U.S. cybersecurity czar announced she is resigning, leaving a void in the administration's plan to better protect computer networks.

Melissa Hathaway, who completed the Obama administration's cybersecurity review in April, said she was leaving for personal reasons, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

"It's time to pass the torch," she said.

Hathaway said she and other cyber-sleuthing partners provided an "initial downpayment for what's needed to start to address cybersecurity."

President Barack Obama in May outlined his cybersecurity plans, announcing his intent to create a top White House cybersecurity post that has yet to be filled on a permanent basis.

People familiar with the matter told the Journal Hathaway was "spinning her wheels" in the White House, where Obama's economic advisers apparently tried to minimize her efforts.

Cybersecurity is "a major priority for the president," White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said, adding the administration is "pursuing a new comprehensive approach to securing America's digital infrastructure."

Among the contenders that have emerged in recent weeks are Franklin Kramer, a former assistant defense secretary under former President Bill Clinton, and Howard Schmidt, a former security officer at eBay Inc. who has participated in several presidential cybersecurity panels.