The U.S. government's director for cybersecurity has resigned, criticizing the excessive role of the National Security Agency in countering threats to the country's computer systems, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Beckstrom headed the National Cybersecurity Center, which was created last March to coordinate all government cybersecurity efforts and answers to the Department of Homeland Security.

In reality, NSA currently dominates most national cyber efforts, Mr. Beckstrom wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday in his resignation letter, posted by the Journal on its website.

While acknowledging the critical importance of NSA to our intelligence efforts, I believe this is a bad strategy on multiple grounds, he wrote.

National Security Agency officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Beckstrom said in his letter that the cybersecurity group did not receive adequate support to accomplish its role during the previous administration of President George W. Bush, which only provided the center with five weeks of funding in the last year.

His resignation will be effective March 13, the letter said.

The newspaper said the Obama administration was conducting a 60-day review of the cybersecurity program started by Bush last year to protect government networks.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew in New York and Chris Doering in Washington; Editing by Anthony Boadle)

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