US closing its cyber office and top cyber-diplomat leaving the post
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is closing the Cyber Office within the State Department, Bloomberg reports. At the same time, the cyber coordinator’s rank may be downgraded, as Ambassador Christopher Painter, the top US cyber-diplomat that served as a the coordinator of cyber issues since 2011, was asked to leave. According to Politico, US experts condemn the move and warn that this will weaken US leadership position in global negotiations about cyberspace. In addition, they warn that the international cyber strategy that the State Department was supposed to prepare by late September as part of the cyber executive order will likely be delayed due to these changes.
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