The point man against cyber attacks

WASHINGTON: In November 2012, Jeh Johnson, who was then the Pentagon’s general counsel, let himself speculate in a speech about al-Qaeda, “How will this conflict end?” He foresaw a “tipping point” at which US officials might be able to say that the group had been “effectively destroyed.”

That was then. Nearly three years later, al-Qaeda and other toxic terrorist groups have metastasized. Johnson is now secretary of homeland security and has responsibility for protecting America against attack. Rather than imagining an end to the terrorist campaign, Johnson must re-enlist American citizens -- and a weary government bureaucracy -- to fight the next rounds and keep the country safe.