Tech Group Blasts Federal Leadership on Cyber-Security

"The only leadership I see right now on this issue in the federal government is in trying to hide attacks that have been successful," Paller said. "If senior management [in federal civilian agencies] can avoid letting the public know that the attacks are happening, they don't have an incentive to protect those systems."

Kurtz said the federal government deserves credit for making incremental progress on some cyber-security fronts, such as funding tests of the resiliency and security of critical digital networks that run the air traffic control system, power grids, financial systems and military and intelligence networks.

Kurtz also praised the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's recent recommendation that the full Senate vote on whether to ratify the Council of Europe's Convention on Cyber Crime, which he said should help U.S. law enforcement agencies better find and prosecute online crooks based abroad. Congress also is debating several consumer privacy and data breach notification bills intended to help consumers victimized by identity theft and online fraud.

Andy Purdy, acting director of the DHS's National Cyber Security Division, said his office is working with the White House to find the most qualified person for the new cyber-security post, but he cautioned that the job may remain unfilled for several more months.

"We believe the selection of that person -- in terms of the message it sends to help highlight the commitment of the administration to reducing cyber risk -- is a very important one and we don't want to rush it," he said.

Purdy said he believes the president's budget is sufficient to accomplish the goals laid out in the national strategy and acknowledged "the importance and seriousness of raising federal agency scores on internal cyber security.

"While the grades are not what we'd like to see, we believe there is sustained progress and we are encouraged by that progress and we are continuing to work closely with those agencies," Purdy said.

He also defended the administration's record on implementing key portions of the White House cyber-security strategy.

"We've made tremendous progress," Purdy said. "But we also recognize that in the need to formalize how we work with the private sector so that we can have the ongoing, sustained collaboration -- not just information sharing -- we have a long way to go."