The federal government has experienced a dramatic strengthening of its cybersecurity culture since the Office of Personnel Management announced the catastrophic hacks of its systems and, in response, agencies governmentwide were required to take part in a sprint to improve their information security hygiene a year ago, a pair of leading cyber officials said.

The eventual federal CISO will shine a brighter on cybersecurity in the federal government, but without legal backing, the position may not be as successful as intended, a Department of Homeland Security cyber official said.