President Joe Biden has selected Michael Sulmeyer, the U.S. Army’s principal cyber adviser, to be the Department of Defense’s first cyber policy chief. The role of assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy was created by the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Sulmeyer has held positions at the National Security Council and Cyber Command, as well as at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
The decision follows the Defense Department’s release of its fiscal 2025 budget proposal, which allocates $14.5 billion for cyber activities. This amount represents an increase from previous years and exceeds the Biden administration’s initial request. U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a leading Republican from Wisconsin, has expressed readiness to swiftly confirm a nominee.
Gallagher heads the House’s Cyber, Information Technology and Innovation panel. Colin Demarest, a reporter at C4ISRNET covering military networks, cyber, and IT, previously reported on the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration in South Carolina.
