U.S. Democrat Buttigieg Campaign’s Top Cybersecurity Official Quits Over Differences

The top cybersecurity official with the presidential campaign of South Bend, Indiana Mayor 👤Pete Buttigieg told Reuters on Wednesday that he has resigned, citing philosophical differences with the campaign over information security.

Mick Baccio, who was the highest-ranking cybersecurity official of any of the ongoing U.S. presidential campaigns, said he quit earlier this month.

He left because of a “fundamental philosophical difference with campaign management regarding the architecture and scope of the information security program.”

The campaign confirmed his resignation and added that they have retained a new security firm.

Baccio joined the Buttigieg campaign in July 2019 to build a comprehensive cybersecurity program that could protect staffers from cyberattacks and secure their systems. He previously served as a White House cybersecurity professional.

It is not common for political campaigns to employee full-time cybersecurity experts. But following Russian cyberattacks against the 2016 U.S. presidential election, politicians have grown more concerned about cyber threats.

(Reporting by Christopher Bing; Editing by David Gregorio)