The White House has nominated Michael Sulmeyer as the first assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy at the Department of Defense.
Sulmeyer has been the principal cyber advisor to the chief of staff and the secretary of the US Army since March 2022, providing advice on capabilities, readiness, strategy and other cyber-related matters.
Prior to his role at the Army, Sulmeyer served at the US Cyber Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council.
In the academic sector, Sulmeyer taught at the University of Texas School of Law, was the director of the cybersecurity project at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and was a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
It’s now up to the Senate to confirm Sulmeyer’s nomination for the cyber policy role at the Pentagon.
The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) increased the number of assistant secretaries of defense and designated a new position specifically for cyber policy.
The main role of this assistant secretary will be the “overall supervision of policy of the Department of Defense for cyber”.
The White House recently published its budget proposal for fiscal year 2025. The proposal includes $13 billion in cybersecurity funding across civilian departments and agencies. A $3 billion budget has been set aside for the cybersecurity agency CISA.
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