CISO Exchange Crumbles after Co-Chairs Quit

The Chief Information Security Officers Exchange has collapsed after both of its co-chairs withdrew their support for the committee late last week.

According to an article by Alice Lipowicz and Jason Miller on the Washington Technology website, both Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) and the federal CIO Council will no longer play any part in the exchange. Lipowicz and Miller say the exchange, which had been highly controversial, doesn't have much of a future with the two withdrawals.

Lipowicz and Miller report that while Davis "certainly supports the goal" of the exchange, "there is nothing on the table" as to what future form it might take if it is even reestablished, David Marin, deputy staff director for the committee, told the pair. "We're always looking for ideas," he said.

The pair is also reporting that the CIO Council will ask its Best Practices Committee to develop ways to improve cybersecurity scores across the government.

Davis announced the CISO Exchange in February, but Lipowicz and Miller say the organization "attracted controversy when an advisory board was named April 6. The exchange set a $75,000 fee to become an industry member of the advisory board. Lower levels of participation carried fees of $25,000 and $5,000. The fees and the structure of the exchange raised concern that it appeared to be a vehicle for gaining exclusive access to Davis, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee."

To read the full article, click here: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/daily_news/26023-1.html