New cybersecurity head named as agency reviews election work
President Donald Trump has nominated Sean Plankey to lead the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security agency (CISA) as the agency reviews its election-related activities. CISA operates under the Department of Homeland Security, where Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed intentions to refocus the agency, which she believes has strayed from its core mission. Plankey, a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, previously served in cybersecurity roles within the Trump administration and is praised for his expertise, especially amid rising cyber threats. This nomination comes as CISA faces scrutiny for its handling of misinformation during elections, with several officials currently on administrative leave, following concerns about the agency’s impact on free speech.
Trump nominates new cybersecurity head as agency reviews election work
President Donald Trump named Sean Plankey to lead the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
CISA operates under the Department of Homeland Security, where Secretary Kristi Noem promised to “rein” in the agency. During her confirmation hearing in January, Noem alleged that CISA had drifted “far off mission.”
Plankey retired from the United States Coast Guard in 2023 and is joining the Trump administration a second time. During Trump’s first term, Plankey worked as director for cyber policy at the National Security Council and then as principal deputy assistant energy secretary for cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response. U.S. Telecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter praised Plankey’s return.
“As our nation navigates an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape from sophisticated adversaries, effective public-private sector collaboration is more essential than ever to ensure our security. We congratulate Sean Plankey on his nomination to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and look forward to working alongside him and the CISA team to advance this critical mission,” Spalter said in a statement.
Trump created the agency in 2018 but fired its first director, Chris Krebs, after Krebs assured voters the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.” Brian Ware, who was then the assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, also resigned.
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CISA was behind the warnings of foreign misinformation campaigns ahead of the 2024 election. One particular alert was due to fake videos out of Russia.
Now the agency is reviewing its own work surrounding elections. Already a dozen officials have been placed on administrative leave. Since 2020, CISA claimed it only flagged misinformation to social media companies but never crossed over into censorship.
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