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Michael Daniel is a Special Assistant to the President and the Cybersecurity Coordinator. In this position, Michael leads the interagency development of national cybersecurity strategy and policy, and he oversees agencies’ implementation of those policies. Michael also ensures that the federal government is effectively partnering with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, other branches and levels of government, and other nations.
Prior to coming to the National Security Staff, Michael served for 17 years with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). From September 2001 to June 2012, he served as the Chief of the Intelligence Branch, National Security Division, in a career Senior Executive Service position. This branch oversees the Intelligence Community (IC) and other classified Department of Defense programs. In this position, Michael played a key role in shaping intelligence budgets, improving the management of the IC, and resolving major IC policy issues. The branch also oversaw a variety of cross-cutting issues, including cybersecurity, counterterrorism spending, and information sharing and safeguarding.
Within OMB, Michael also served as an examiner in the National Security Division’s Front Office supporting the Deputy Associate Director and in the Operations branch reviewing Navy and Marine Corps operational activities and overseas military operations such as Bosnia and Kosovo.
Since 2007, Michael has been heavily involved with Federal cybersecurity activities, starting with the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. He has worked on cybersecurity funding issues in almost every budget since then and led an annual cross-cut review of Federal agencies’ cybersecurity spending. He represented OMB on cybersecurity issues in the interagency policy process and worked with various Congressional committees and staff on cybersecurity issues. Finally, he has worked on tracking cybersecurity spending and the development of useful cyber performance metrics.
Originally from Atlanta, Michael received a Bachelor’s in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Subsequently, he obtained a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard with a focus on International Affairs and Security. Michael also obtained a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2001.
Outside of work, Michael and his wife are raising two rambunctious boys. Michael also studies martial arts in the Chishin Ryu style with Dai Nippon Botoku Kai, a Norfolk-based karate association.
Michael Daniel's Posts
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What You Need to Know About President Obama’s New Steps on Cybersecurity
January 14, 2015 at 6:02 PM ESTPresident Obama is using the week before his State of the Union to highlight the importance of cybersecurity and to outline the steps this Administration is taking to tackle this problem head on.
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Three Steps to Help Protect Your Personal Information on Cyber Monday
December 1, 2014 at 6:00 AM ESTCyber Monday is far and away the busiest online shopping day of the year -- here's what you need to know about shopping securely today.
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Strengthening Our Cyber Community
September 19, 2014 at 2:17 PM ESTJust as a neighborhood bands together to raise its collective safety, we can work as a community to strengthen our collective defenses to make it harder for those who wish to cause harm.
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Talking Cybersecurity
July 2, 2014 at 10:44 AM ESTCybersecurity touches so much of our lives now that we need a rich and continuing dialogue that includes the broadest possible set of stakeholders.
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Assessing Cybersecurity Regulations
May 22, 2014 at 1:30 PM ESTThe threat to our systems and information is dynamic and rapidly evolving; we must build equally agile and responsive capabilities not bound by outdated and inflexible rules and procedures.
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Heartbleed: Understanding When We Disclose Cyber Vulnerabilities
April 28, 2014 at 2:00 PM ESTFor an agency whose acronym was once said to stand for “No Such Agency,” speaking out about Heartbleed was unusual but consistent with NSA’s efforts to appropriately inform the ongoing discussion related to how it conducts its missions.
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Getting Serious about Information Sharing for Cybersecurity
April 10, 2014 at 12:45 PM ESTOur cybersecurity in large part depends on the strength of the weakest part of a network. So, it is critical that the private sector, federal, state and local governments, and communities work together to build up our cyber security.
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State and Local Government Cybersecurity
April 2, 2014 at 4:43 PM ESTThe White House convened a broad array of stakeholders to discuss ways to help implement the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Framework as a tool for improving cybersecurity.
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Trusted Identities to Secure Critical Infrastructure
December 9, 2013 at 11:28 AM ESTDeveloped in 2011, the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) is a key Administration initiative to work collaboratively with the private sector, advocacy groups, public sector agencies, and other organizations to improve the privacy, security, and convenience of sensitive online transactions.
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National Cyber Security Awareness Month
October 17, 2013 at 3:20 PM ESTOctober is “National Cyber Security Awareness Month.” With our world ever more connected to the Internet – our phones, our tablets, even our cars – cybersecurity matters to everyone.
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