Ex-US cyber boss slams politics getting in the way of preparedness

interview The bodies responsible for securing America from cyberattacks are currently too fragmented to be successful, according to former US National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, the first person ever to hold that job. 

The Register spoke with Inglis on October 1 as the federal government shut down, a key cyber-threat sharing law expired, funding for a similar intel-swapping effort at the state and local level ended, and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reportedly furloughed 65 percent of its workforce. 

In all, it's not a good look for American cybersecurity at a time when the US faces mounting digital threats from China and Russia, along with homegrown cybercriminals.

When asked about US cyber-readiness, Inglis told The Register that "it's almost fractured by design, because we haven't quite stitched it together."

He pointed to at least two current dilemmas. "One is the cessation of the CISA of ...