There are two new hires at DHS that will have a big impact on SCADA security. The hire getting most of the news is Greg Garcia’s appointment as the new cyberczar. His official title is DHS Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Telecommunications.

However, the new DHS employee that will have a large and direct impact on SCADA security is Perry Pederson. Perry is the now the Director of Control System Security Program in NCSD.

Prior to joining DHS, Perry was with the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) which was involved in funding SCADA security research and development. I haven’t worked with Perry before, but I’ve heard good things from people that have.

These are two tough and important jobs in an area where a lot of work is needed. Good luck Greg and Perry.