Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Pro TechRadar the business technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Expert Insights Website builders Web hosting Best web hosting Best website builder Best office chairs Expert Insights Sean Plankey selected as CISA director by President Trump By Ellen Jennings-Trace published 11 March 2025 Plankey also served in the first Trump administration When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Getty Images) President Trump picks Sean Plankey as CISA director Plankey also served as part of Trump's previous administration CISA faces potential turbulence under Trump President Trump has announced Sean Plankey as his pick for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director in Sean Plankey. Plankey’s nomination will be heard before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and if confirmed, he will head up the agency following some potentially interesting directional changes. This follows the news that the US is set to pause cyber-offensive operations against Russia, despite CISA reaffirming its commitment to defending against all cyber-threats, “including from Russia”. Prior to the 2024 election, Plankey predicted a second Trump presidency would bring “more pointed measures at [our] adversaries,” anticipating a landscape with “more delineation between competitive nations versus adversarial ones.” You may like US set to pause cyber-offensive operations against Russia - but CISA says it won't stop The US wants security requirements as standard to stop sensitive data from falling into enemy hands A supportive President? Considering President Trump’s appointment of some pretty controversial cabinet members, Plankey does seem a more balanced pick, as he hold qualifications for the role. This includes experience as weapons and tactics branch chief at US Cyber Command, and global head of cybersecurity software for Indigo Vault - a post-quantum encryption document protection platform. Industry professionals like Brian Harrell have previously praised Plankey’s appointment, calling him a “straight shooter” who will refocus CISA towards risk reduction and protection against adversaries. In the first Trump administration, Plankey served as Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy, Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). President Trump created CISA in 2018 with the aim of protecting government agencies and US infrastructure from cyberattacks and digital threats. Trump was “definitely supportive of cybersecurity issues”, in his previous administration, Plankey confirmed, so the partnership is certainly well established. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. “For all the misinformation and disinformation on President Trump’s goals, our cybersecurity positions are not radical,” Plankey said before the election. “Use cyberspace operations strategically and tactically to achieve U.S. national security goals. This is how you effectively protect the interests of America and if this is radical then the disinformation campaign has won." You might also like CISA says ‘no indication’ other US government agencies affected in Treasury hack Check out our recommendations for the best antivirus Microsoft warns Trump against ‘strategic misstep’ in AI race Ellen Jennings-Trace Social Links Navigation Staff Writer Ellen has been writing for almost four years, with a focus on post-COVID policy whilst studying for BA Politics and International Relations at the University of Cardiff, followed by an MA in Political Communication. Before joining TechRadar Pro as a Junior Writer, she worked for Future Publishing’s MVC content team, working with merchants and retailers to upload content. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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