DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson announced the appointment of a new NCCIC point person, Andy Ozment, who serves as DHS assistant secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communication.
More: Johnson calls for broad effort to improve cybersecurity
Ozment will remain in his current role, with added responsibility for oversight of the NCCIC.
Along with a new lead, NCCIC will also get a new director of operations in John Felker, who will manage the daily workflow at the center.
Felker joins DHS from serving as director of Cyber and Intelligence Strategy for HP Enterprise Services and previously served as deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command. He filled several cyber-related positions during his 30-year tenure with the Coast Guard, including commander of the Cryptologic Group and coordinator between Coast Guard Intelligence and the National Intelligence Community.
Related: New cyber center to coordinate threat intelligence
“Dr. Ozment and Mr. Felker will provide a combination of operational experience, leadership and strategic insight needed to take the NCCIC to the next level for our cybersecurity,” Johnson said.
Johnson also announced a plan to reorganize the National Protection and Programs Directorate to focus on NCCIC operations, particularly around incident response and mitigation. The reorganization will raise NCCIC’s position within DHS hierarchy and create a direct line of reporting to the secretary.
