Against a backdrop of new challenges from increasingly sophisticated hackers, Yoran is responsible for preparing the government's response to any major cyberattacks.

This is the second tour of government duty for Yoran, who once headed vulnerability assessment at the Department of Defense's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and managed the Pentagon's network security. In the interregnum, he started and then sold a services company to security software maker Symantec.

As director of the National Cyber Security Division of the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, Yoran has a big title. Still, he can't make things happen by federal fiat, and the success or failure of the government's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace hinges on private sector buy-in.

He spoke with CNET News.com before heading out to Silicon Valley to talk about cybersecurity.

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