President Trump Selects Sean Plankey To lead America's Cyber Defense Agency, CISA

President Donald Trump has nominated Sean Plankey to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), pending Senate approval.

Plankey, a former Coast Guard officer and former director of cyber policy in Trump’s first administration, will oversee the nation’s top cyber defense agency.

Sean Plankey’s nomination was submitted Tuesday to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. A Pennsylvania native and military veteran, Plankey previously served as a National Security Council director during the first Trump administration. His nomination was among roughly 50 presidential appointments sent to various Senate committees that day.

Plankey brings extensive technical expertise and leadership experience from both the military and private sector.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Plankey most recently held the roles of General Manager at Indigo Vault and Global Head of Cybersecurity Software at WTW.

His military career spanned from 2003 to 2017, beginning with the U.S. Coast Guard and later the U.S. Navy, where he held key cybersecurity leadership roles. Notably, in 2013, he led a cyber team for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, an effort recognized by former President Barack Obama. His final military role was serving as the U.S. Navy’s deputy chief information officer (CIO) for naval intelligence.

His government experience includes serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response at the Department of Energy, as well as Weapons and Tactics Branch Chief at U.S. Cyber Command.

A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Plankey has also held positions as Public Sector Chief Technology Officer at DataRobot and Chief Architect for Critical Infrastructure at BedRock Systems.

Additionally, he has worked as a Global Cyber Intelligence Adviser at BP (British Petroleum) and served as a Strategic Adviser at Option3 and CLASS zero3.

Plankey’s background aligns closely with CISA’s mission to protect and strengthen critical infrastructure. A division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, CISA is responsible for identifying, managing, and reducing national risks to both digital and physical infrastructure.

CISA Background

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for safeguarding national cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. It works across all levels of government, collaborates with U.S. states on cybersecurity initiatives, and enhances federal protections against cyber threats from both private entities and nation-state actors. Cyberattacks encompass a wide range of threats, from website defacement and denial-of-service attacks to cyber espionage and infrastructure destruction.

Origins and Expansion

CISA originated in 2007 as the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) under DHS, focusing on reducing threats to the nation’s critical infrastructure. In 2018, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act elevated NPPD to a standalone agency within DHS, expanding its role to include securing elections, overseeing National Special Security Events, and coordinating responses to national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. CISA has also taken on responsibilities related to 5G network security, protecting the U.S. power grid from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), and leading national efforts against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) through its Office for Bombing Prevention.

Currently headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, CISA plans to relocate in 2025 to a new 620,000 sq. ft., 10-story facility on the consolidated DHS St. Elizabeths campus, housing approximately 6,500 employees.

Key Milestones

• 2019: CISA issued its first Emergency Directive (19-01: Mitigate DNS Infrastructure Tampering), warning of ongoing DNS spoofing attacks targeting government agencies. The cybersecurity firm FireEye linked these attacks to Iranian threat actors.
• 2020: Amid concerns over election security, CISA launched the Rumor Control website to counter disinformation regarding the 2020 U.S. presidential election. On November 12, 2020, CISA declared that there was no evidence of vote tampering or system compromises. Days later, then-Director Christopher Krebs was fired by President Trump via Twitter for contradicting election fraud claims.
• 2021: On July 12, 2021, Jen Easterly was confirmed as CISA Director by the Senate. She expanded efforts to combat online disinformation, referring to it as part of the nation’s “cognitive infrastructure.”
• 2022: CISA released its 2023–2025 Strategic Plan, its first comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy, aligning with global trends where over 50 nations have formally adopted cybersecurity policies.

CISA, Post Trump Election

The agency, created by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, has undergone leadership changes and staff reductions since January, as is common with a new administration.

CISA is responsible for protecting civilian government infrastructure from cyber threats. However, its role in securing U.S. election systems from foreign interference has faced backlash from Republicans who support Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen by Joe Biden. In 2020, Trump fired then-CISA chief Christopher Krebs after Krebs publicly defended the integrity of the election.

Since Trump’s inauguration, CISA - like other government agencies, has experienced significant turnover, including resignations and mass firings. Last week, former senior NSA official Rob Joyce warned lawmakers that the large-scale removal of federal employees could have a "devastating" impact on national security.

As of February 14, CISA has confirmed that more than 130 positions within the agency have been eliminated.

Former CISA director Jen Easterly who stepped down on January 20 after serving under the Biden administration, has since founded the consultancy Evenstar Cyber LLC. She is also now represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau, which manages speaking engagements for prominent political figures, journalists, corporate leaders, and athletes.