President Donald Trump has nominated Sean Plankey as the new director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). His appointment is pending approval by the U.S. Senate.
Plankey has previously served in Trump’s administration, holding key cybersecurity roles, including:
- Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response at the Department of Energy.
- Director for Maritime and Pacific Cybersecurity Policy at the National Security Council.
A U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Plankey also played a pivotal role at U.S. Cyber Command in 2013, where he was the Weapons and Tactics Branch Chief. During his service in Afghanistan, he conducted offensive cyber operations as a Deputy Officer.
Plankey’s nomination comes at a critical time for CISA, as the agency recently placed 17 staff members on leave—all of whom were working with local officials to strengthen election-related cybersecurity. Several current and former members of CISA’s Election Security and Resilience team have also been impacted by these administrative actions.
Plankey’s Stance on Cybersecurity Policy
Plankey has been vocal about strengthening U.S. cyber defenses, particularly against foreign adversaries. In a September 2024 interview with Recorded Future News, he expressed his expectation that Trump’s administration will introduce stronger cybersecurity measures: “We’re not going to let China have unrestricted access to our U.S. critical infrastructure while they subsequently ban our companies from access.”
With his nomination, cybersecurity experts and policymakers are watching closely to see how CISA’s leadership shift will impact U.S. cyber policies, particularly regarding election security and foreign cyber threats.
