A top cybersecurity official at the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team has cleaned out his desk and picked up his p45 and pink slip.
It is not clear why the bloke, who has a name like a News of the World expose on the Church of England, Vickers, has quit his job as director of the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team. US-CERT is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and has to protect US government agencies and networks from cyberattacks.
Vickers had been doing the job since April 2009. However a number of government agencies including the CIA have been hit by hackers in a string of embarrassing cyberattacks.
The White House were at the centre of a phishing attack and contractors dealing with confidential government information have also been targeted by hackers. US-CERT deputy director Lee Rock will fill Vickers’ position until a new director is announced.