Top US Cybersecurity Agency chief set to depart before Trump takes over
- Jen Easterly will vacate her post as Director of CISA before Trump comes into office
- The future of CISA is uncertain under Trump, who has criticized the department in the past
- There’s no news yet on Easterly’s successor
The Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jen Easterly, is set to vacate her post before President Trump returns to office on January 20 2025, throwing the future of the agency into doubt.
CISA is responsible for critical infrastructure protection and improving the US government’s protections against cybercriminals and state actors, who are increasingly targeting American agencies in order to exfiltrate data and disrupt services.
Easterly held a number of security positions before taking the post as Director of CISA, such as senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council and Global Head of Cybersecurity for Morgan Stanley. Her departure leaves the fate of the agency uncertain.
Slash and burn
Given the number of eyebrow-raising proposed cabinet appointees by the Ppresident-elect, it’s difficult to predict who might fill the position in 2025 and beyond.
CISA was created during Trump’s first term, but his consistent commitment to deregulation could limit the agency’s ability to enforce compliance with cybersecurity standards.
Following the narrow senate election win for the Republican party, senator Rand Paul is set to take over as chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, which will oversee CISA. Paul, a staunch libertarian and critic of CISA, previously accused the agency of infringing on free speech as part of its effort to counter digital disinformation.
Trump is likely to boost military spending in his second term, but most other agencies face seriously slashed budgets in the coming years. Although under the defense umbrella, cybersecurity will likely be amongst those to lose out on funding.
Governments across the globe are facing a dramatic surge in cyberattacks, with Government organizations seeing a 236% increase in malware attacks, so cybersecurity will be a key consideration for the foreseeable future.
Via NextGov