DHS Fills 2 Key Cybersecurity Posts

Roberta Stempfley, at left, who had been the chief information officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency, is the new director of the National Cybersecurity Division, which coordinates federal government initiatives to secure the nation's mostly privately owned critical information infrastructure.

Randel Vicker, who had been serving as acting director of the United States Computer Emergency Response Team since the resignation of Mischel Kwon last August, can remove the word "acting" from his title.

As division director, Stempfley will lead DHS's collaborative work with the private sector and other nations to help secure key national IT systems and networks, including efforts to build and maintain a national cyberspace response system and employ a comprehensive cyber-risk management program. Known to her associates as Bobbie, Stempfley is an 18-year DoD veteran who held the job of DISA deputy CIO and vice director for strategic planning. She replaces Peter Fonash, who served as acting director since the departure of Cornelius Tate, who was on loan to the division from the Secret Service.

Vickers, known as Randy, as head of U.S.-CERT, the operational arm of the National Cybersecurity Division, will work with law enforcement and intelligence agencies on computer crime investigations, cyber intelligence gathering and technical analysis of cyber intrusions of federal systems. Prior to joining US-CERT, Vickers was chief of the Defense Department's Computer Emergency Response Team at the Joint Task Force, Global Network Operations. He served 20 years in the Army as an infantry and information operations officer.

Stempfley and Vicker began their new assignments on April 12. Both agencies are within the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, a component of DHS's National Protection and Programs Directorate.