The Foreign Service Journal - October 2017

12 OCTOBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL felt by many students considering a career with the Foreign Service. Still, the Foreign Service Officer Test remains intensely competitive (only 1.8 percent of applicants are hired). And there is “continued strong inter- est in serving in the Foreign Service,” said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert. “The department is not surprised or concerned about a reduc- tion in FSOT applications,” she added. DS Establishes New Cybersecurity Office F ollowing news that the Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues would be shuttered, Federal News Radio reported in late August that the State Department had established a new office, called the Cyber and Technology Security directorate, within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security on May 28. The new office will “provide advanced cyber threat analysis, incident detection and response, cyber investiga- tive support, and emerging technology,” according to a State Department official, who spoke to The Hill. The directorate, which is currently headed by an interim director, rep- resents a single point of contact for diplomatic interests to stay abreast of vulnerabilities and attacks, Federal News Radio cited a government official as saying. Coordinator for Cyber Issues Chris- topher Painter departed suddenly in July amid rumors that the office would be closed and its functions moved to the Bureau of Economics and Business Affairs. News of the establishment of the new directorate in DS has been welcomed widely. Because DS already conducts some cybersecurity operations, this would simply consolidate the depart- ment’s cyber efforts under a single office.