Sean Plankey has been nominated to be the next director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Plankey will succeed Jen Easterly, who left the agency as the second Trump administration was sworn in. Plankey must be confirmed by the Senate, where his nomination was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Easterly welcomed her successor in a LinkedIn post, saying that “Sean will bring great cyber expertise, private sector creds, a warrior spirit, and steady leadership to Team CISA.”
Plankey’s experience will be beneficial as he takes over the top U.S. cybersecurity agency amid cuts to its red team, election security and other areas, as part of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) effort and a general desire by Republicans that the agency focus on its core mission of protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.
Plankey Brings Distinguished Experience as Next CISA Director
Plankey is a U.S. Coast Guard Academy and University of Pennsylvania graduate, with degrees in management and IT.
He served in the first Trump Administration from 2018 to 2020, first as Director for Cyber Policy at the National Security Council and then as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response at the Department of Energy. He also served as Deputy CIO for Naval Intelligence.
While at the NSC, his roles included Director for Maritime Cyber Policy, Pacific Cyber Policy, and National Defense Cyber Policy.
Plankey, a United States Coast Guard veteran, was awarded a Bronze Star and received recognition from former President Barack Obama for his work with the U.S. Cyber Command in Afghanistan.
His private sector roles have included Global Cyber Intelligence Advisor at BP and, most recently, General Manager and Global Head of Cybersecurity Software for Indigo Vault, a post-quantum encryption document protection platform.
Plankey Takes Over Amid Challenges from Russia, China
Plankey will take the helm of an agency that has faced persistent cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns from adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
China in particular is believed to be burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure, and U.S. officials have speculated that the country may be preparing for an eventual invasion of Taiwan.
Showing the potential of such challenges, Easterly speculated in a recent LinkedIn post that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea could potentially unite as an alternative to the “Five Eyes” (FVEY) alliance of the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“[T]he emergence of an AI-powered FOUR EYES intelligence-sharing alliance among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea could have far-reaching implications for global security,” Easterly wrote. “America must anticipate this shift, enhancing our AI capabilities in intelligence & counterintelligence to maintain our strategic edge. In addition, we must ensure the continued vitality and efficacy of the FVEY alliance.”
