White House Cyber-Security Adviser Melissa Hathaway Steps Down

According to White House officials, cyber-security adviser Melissa Hathaway has stepped down from her post as a senior cyber-security aide at the White House. The resignation, however, will not go into effect until August 21.

The Washington Post reports that the decision to resign was due, in part, to President Barack Obama's delay in appointing a cyber-security coordinator. In a speech on the importance of cyber-security, Obama pledged to personally select a cyber-security coordinator.

Hathaway recently said that she wasn't willing to continue to wait any longer, because she wasn't empowered to drive the change, according to the newspaper. She said she can do more from a different role.

Hathaway played a leading role in coordinating the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative started by the George W. Bush administration. She also led the Obama administration's 60-day review of cyber-policy earlier this year and was considered a leading contender to permanently fill the cyber-security post. According to The Wall Street Journal, she lost favor with the president's economic team after she said it should consider options for regulating some private-sector entities to ensure they secure their networks.

"We've made a lot of progress in the last 30 months that I've been in government, and now it's time to move on," said Hathaway, as reported by The Washington Post. "It's up to the administration to take the next step."