US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appointed a cyber envoy to handle issues related to Internet and the World Wide Web.

In this capacity, Christopher Painter will bring together the many elements in the State Department working on cyber issues to more effectively advance US cyber interests.

The first official to hold this post, Painter will coordinate the State Department's global diplomatic engagement on cyber issues, serve as the Department's liaison to White House and federal departments and agencies on these issues.

He will also advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries on cyber issues and engagements, serve as a liaison to public and private sector entities on cyber issues and coordinate the work of regional and functional bureaus within the Department engaged in these areas.

Most recently, Painter served in the White House as Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy in the National Security Staff.

During his two years at the White House, he was a senior member of the team that conducted the President's Cyberspace Policy Review, served as Acting Cybersecurity Coordinator, helped coordinate the development of a forthcoming international strategy for cyberspace and chaired high-level interagency groups devoted to international and other cyber issues.