“They’re not five years behind nation-states anymore, because the tools have become more ubiquitous,” Grant Schneider says.

The new structure “gives more authority to the people who need to actually make those decisions," Grant Schneider said.

The administration says it is taking a "whole-of-government approach" to secure election systems in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and territories.

Veteran government IT official Grant Schneider will serve as federal chief information security officer, an influential policy role, OMB announced Thursday.

The Trump administration has picked Coast Guard Rear Adm. Doug Fears as its new homeland security adviser. Fears has over 30 years of experience in the Coast Guard and at the National Security Council.

Senators expressed concern that eliminating the role “will lead to a lack of unified focus against cyber threats.”