Seven members of Donald Trump’s cybersecurity advisory council have resigned, citing the US President’s insufficient attention to cyber threats.
According to a Fortune report late on Saturday, seven members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose purview includes national cybersecurity, resigned en masse expressing concern over how Trump and his administration undermined the “moral infrastructure” of the US.
The members cited specific shortfalls in the administration’s approach to cybersecurity.
“You have given insufficient attention to the growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which all Americans depend, including those impacting the systems supporting our democratic election process,” the group resignation letter stated.
The letter also mentioned Trump’s failure to condemn neo-Nazis and white supremacists after a violent protest earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“When asked about the horrific violence in Charlottesville, you failed to denounce the intolerance and violence of hate groups, instead offering false equivalences and attacking the motives of the CEOs who had resigned from their advisory roles in protest,” the letter added.
Those who resigned included former US Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil and former Office of Science and Technology Policy Chief of Staff Cristin Dorgelo — both Obama-era apointees.
“The moral infrastructure of our Nation is the foundation on which our physical infrastructure is built. The Administration’s actions undermine that foundation,” the members said.
Trump has not endorsed the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia was instrumental in hacking and running a propaganda campaign to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.