[Infowarrior] - Lawmakers not briefed on White House cyber center

[Richard Forno]

Lawmakers not briefed on White House cyber center

By Joseph Marks

2/10/15 3:28 PM EST

Updated 2/10/15 8:12 PM EST

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/white-house-cyber-center-lawmakers-115078.html?hp=b1_c2

White House officials gave members of the House Intelligence Committee either little notice or none at all about the announcement Tuesday of a new cyber integration center modeled on the National Counterterrorism Center, sources told POLITICO.

A source on the Republican side said Tuesday that the committee’s only advance information about the new center came during a briefing by representatives from the Office of the Director for National Intelligence last week and that the briefer declined to explain what the budget request was for.

“When they were specifically asked for details on their cyber plans, they said there was nothing else they could share at this time,” the source said, adding they were told more information would be made available in more detailed budget documents that have not yet been sent to the committee.

That was the last committee members heard of the issue before today’s announcement was trailed with an official leak to The Washington Post, the source said.

Asked if committee members believed they should have been briefed in advance, the source replied, “Yes; I can give you a one word answer on that.”

A Democratic aide later countered that both Democratic and Republican committee staff were told about the center the day before.

A senior administration official said “we notified key staff on the intelligence committees and intend to provide further briefings in the coming weeks.”

The Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, projected to have a staff of 50 when it is fully operational next year, is funded by a $35 million line item in the “black budget” request for intelligence funding.

The center was first called for by the former co-chairmen of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton, in an op-ed last year.

There are also concerns that the new center might duplicate the work of other existing federal cyber centers, like the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center at DHS. Officials say the NCCIC is focused on situational awareness and operational response to cyberattacks, whereas the CTIIC will focus on rapidly fusing intelligence different sources about cyber threats.

This story has been updated to include comments from a Democratic committee aide and from the administration.


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