White House Acting Cybersecurity Czar Resigns

The resignation highlights the difficulty the White House has had following through on its cybersecurity effort. President Barack Obama first outlined his cybersecurity plans in a high-profile speech May 29, announcing his intention to create a top White House cybersecurity post -- a position he has yet to fill.

Melissa Hathaway, who completed the Obama administration's cybersecurity review in April, said in an interview that she was leaving for personal reasons. "It's time to pass the torch," she said, adding that she and her colleagues have provided an "initial down payment for what's needed to start to address cybersecurity."

In the past year, intelligence officials have grown increasingly concerned about Chinese and Russian cyberspies surveilling U.S. infrastructure and military networks.

People familiar with the matter said Ms. Hathaway has been "spinning her wheels" in the White House, where the president's economic advisers sought to marginalize her politically.

Cybersecurity is "a major priority for the president," White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said, adding that the administration is "pursuing a new comprehensive approach to securing America's digital infrastructure." In the search to fill the top cyber post, "the president is personally committed to finding the right person for this job, and a rigorous selection process is well under way," he said.