White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt tendered his resignation last Thursday, and will step down from the position at then end of May.
Schmidt indicated he desires to move into cybersecurity education as well as having the opportunity to spend more time with his family.
Schmidt brought more than forty years of security expertise to the Obama team, across a variety of sectors, and was tasked with coordinating network security endeavors and policy development at the federal level.
"It has been a tremendous honor for me to have served in this role and to have worked with such dedicated and professional colleagues both in the government and private sector," Schmidt said in a statement.
"We have made real progress in our efforts to better deal with the risks in cyberspace so, around the world, we can all realize the full benefits that cyberspace brings us," Schmidt continued.
Schmidt had worked closely with multiple agencies and counterparts at the federal levels, as well as with the private sector and internationally.
"[Schmidt] has been an invaluable resource in our ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and protect our nation’s critical infrastructure," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
Previously, Schmidt was the President and CEO of the Information Security Forum (ISF), Chief Security Strategist for the US-CERT Partners Program for the DHS, and he served as Vice President and CIO and Chief Security Strategist for eBay Inc., as well as having been the CSO for Microsoft.
Schmidt will be replaced by Michael Daniel who, prior to being tapped as the new White House cybersecurity coordinator, worked for nearly two decades in the Office of Management and Budget's National Security Division.
“I am very honored to be asked to take on such an important role, especially at a time when cybersecurity issues are so prominent. The challenges in this area are real and serious, but I have the benefit of building on the progress Howard has made through his leadership and I look forward to continuing my career in public service in a new way,” Daniel said in a statement.