Wait a minute. Isn't this an election year? Conventional wisdom tells us that Federal programs should be on auto-pilot, awaiting the new priorities of the 111th Congress and the new Administration that will take office next January. This is not exactly the time to be expecting high-profile leadership announcements.

One program that is bucking the trend is the secretive Cyber Initiative. Details of this new initiative leaked in January, and today it seems to have shifted into higher gear. According to a Wall Street Journal report, DNI Director Mike McConnell is tapping Silicon Valley veteran Rod Beckstrom to head up the National Cyber Security Center, reporting to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff.

The choice of Beckstrom is surprising to say the least, but perhaps that is the point. First of all, he has no government experience. And, he is an advocate of highly decentralized and cutting edge organizational theories as demonstrated in his book, Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations, which is probably not on the shelves of many government executives. His position as an outsider could spell difficulties in his new operating environment, from his clearance application to the politics of a classified-gut-high-profile cross agency initiative.

Again, however, perhaps it's time to reject conventional wisdom and analyze what this might be saying about the Cyber Initiative. First, it seems to be not only a very high priority for the current administration but also one with legs to survive into the next. Second, it seems to confirm that the Cyber Initiative is about more than securing government networks and will reach into the private sector. One of Beckstrom's credentials -- and there are many -- would be his ability to work with commercial companies who may be wary of the Fed's efforts. Finally, it may show the realization by Federal officials that they need new ideas and a "fresh approach" to counter a threat that they are struggling to understand.