The British-based Register Web site reported that Peter Tippett, who recently served two years on the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee, said a shortage of leadership has left the United States at greater risk of computer attack.

Tippett drew parallels between the Department of Homeland Security's efforts in guarding against electronic attacks and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's ineptness in managing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

In 2002 the government's cyber-security responsibilities, along with FEMA's, were transferred from the executive branch to the Department of Homeland Security.

Tippett said, "Something similar happened when Homeland Security got responsibility for both FEMA and computer security. When responsibility was transferred from the White House to Homeland Security good people left the top. There's confusion over reporting lines and no leadership."

Tippett is now the chief technology officer with the computer security firm CyberTrust.

Not everyone agrees with his assessment. The chief executive of R&H Security and former senior White House cybersecurity adviser Howard Schmidt defended the department, saying, "There's been a lot of criticisms but they don't take into account the good work that the ... agency is doing. It is doing all it can to improve government systems within the priorities it has. We are getting incrementally better systems. Improvements will take time."

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