U.S. Army Principal Cyber Advisor Michael Sulmeyer has been confirmed by the Senate to be the Department of Defense's first-ever cyber policy leader just two days after his nomination was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
In his confirmation hearing for the assistant secretary of Defense for cyber policy post, Sulmeyer said that he would focus on strengthening U.S. digital forces' "combat power" and "sustained readiness" against increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Pentagon's absence of a senior cyber leader has prompted lawmakers to establish such a post as part of the 2023 defense policy legislation, with Senate Armed Forces Committee's Cyber Subcommittee member Mike Rounds, R-S.D., noting that the role was intended to be taken by experts, such as Sulmeyer. "He is eminently qualified for this crucial position, which has remained vacant for far too long," noted Rounds.
