Former U.S. cybersecurity chief joins Harvard's Kennedy School

Computerworld - Melissa Hathaway, the former top U.S. cybersecurity official, has joined the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Harvard University's Kennedy School announced this week that Hathaway has been named a senior adviser to a cybersecurity initiative called Project Minerva, a joint effort between the Belfer Center, the U.S. Department of Defense and MIT.

In her new role, Hathaway will be responsible for identifying and understanding policy gaps in international relations as it pertains to cybersecurity issues, the Belfer center said. Hathaway will also "contribute" to classes at the Kennedy School and Harvard Law School and publish research and policy papers for the Belfer Center.

The Belfer Center oversees the Kennedy School's research, teaching and training on international security affairs as well as environmental and resource management issues.

Hathaway was previously the acting senior director for cyberspace at the U.S. National Security and Homeland Security Councils. She was appointed to that role and commissioned to do a 60-day review of governmentwide cybersecurity readiness in February by President Barack Obama.

Hathaway's highly anticipated review, completed in May, recommended that the federal government take several measures to bolster U.S. cybersecurity. The recommendations included a call to establish a cybersecurity office within the executive offices of the president to oversee and enforce a national cybersecurity policy.

At one point, Hathaway herself was considered to be a leading contender to head the office, but she quit unexpectedly in August, citing personal reasons and asked not to be considered for the White House post.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Hathaway said she quit because she did not feel empowered enough as acting director for cyberspace to drive real change.