How to Boost DHS Cyber Division Morale? Change Its Name.

Mark J. Terrill/AP File Photo

The title -- National Protection and Programs Directorate -- does not jive with the division's purpose, explains Suzanne Spaulding, undersecretary of the ill-named directorate.

Congress late last year elevated the information security mission of the Department of Homeland Security, but that did not do much to elevate the morale of the personnel serving that mission.

Employee satisfaction is dropping more at Homeland Security -- 15 percent since 2010 -- than at any other major federal agency, according to the latest annual Federal Employee Viewpoint survey.

Renaming the department's information security-focused directorate could help adjust employee attitude, says one top DHS official.

The title -- National Protection and Programs Directorate, or NPPD -- does not jibe with the division's purpose, explains Suzanne Spaulding, undersecretary of the ill-named directorate.

"One of the things we're hoping to do is to change our name, and I actually think that while that seems superficial, that will also help improve our morale by aligning our workforce with a clear sense of their identity and that cyber and infrastructure protection is what we're all about," she told lawmakers at a Wednesday House hearing on a reorganization proposal.

Congress would have to christen the directorate with a new title. 

“The name is not up to us, but we hope for something that reflects our work in cybersecurity and infrastructure protection," a DHS spokesman said in an email. "NPPD is just ridiculous." 

In addition to renaming the division, Spaulding wants to break it into three interlinked directorates.

"We're all part of the same team," she said. "One team. One fight."

The first subdivision, "Infrastructure Security," would concentrate on protecting the nation's key industries from network and physical risks by working with sector businesses, DHS officials testified. This group would subsume the following existing entities: the Office of Emergency Communications, Cyber Security Advisor program, Critical Infrastructure Cyber Community Voluntary Program, Protective Security Advisor program and the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program.

The second subgroup would carry out the department's new congressional mandate to stave off civilian IT and communication systems threats, officials said. Last December, lawmakers approved legislation that cements the home of the nation's 24-hour digital threat-intelligence hub, the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, inside DHS. Another 2014 law, an upgrade of the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act, directs the department to oversee cyber operations governmentwide.

The third operational group would represent the existing Federal Protective Service, according to DHS. The service now is paying greater attention to the protection of data security at federal facilities.

The reorganization also would distribute more staff across the country, outside of Washington, where critical industries operate.

DHS officials and the House Homeland Security Committee got into a tiff over the restructuring last month. The panel's Republican and Democratic leaders complained to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in a Sept. 15 letter the department failed to loop in the authorizing committee before proceeding with musical chairs.

In a further exhibition of discontent, the full House on Tuesday night passed legislation barring any reorganization without congressional approval.

The press obtained details on the suggested structural makeover too early, Spaulding explained to the panel's Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Subcommittee on Wednesday. Most of the changes will require legislative action, she added.

"I understand the committee's frustration that information related to the changes that were under consideration leaked prematurely to the media before we had a plan that the secretary had an opportunity to review, and I could get down here to brief the committee on that plan. This is an ongoing process that continues," Spaulding assured lawmakers.

The employee sentiment scores for NPPD, alone, did go up "slightly" in the survey this year, she noted, albeit, “the numbers are nowhere near where we like them to be or where they ought to be."

At the hearing, a federal auditor cautioned that given the fractured nature of the overall department and poor morale, it is crucial DHS management listen to employees' concerns during the reforms.

"The way the department was formed initially, bringing together 22 different component agencies, all with very different missions and cultures," like the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, "created a huge challenge in becoming one," said Chris P. Currie, director of the Emergency Management National Preparedness and Critical Infrastructure Protection Homeland Security and Justice Team at the Government Accountability Office.

At NPPD, workers with the Federal Protective Service, which was added in 2009, serve a completely different duty than employees at the round-the-clock cybersecurity center, he said.

"Part of this reorganization is intended to bring the workforces together under one clear mission," Currie inferred.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.