Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and now a cybersecurity leader at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, tells CSO that Plankey is a “great hire” and “is just what CISA will need as we defend against an increasingly aggressive nation-state adversary in China.”
Former Obama administration cybersecurity official Ari Schwartz, who now leads the Cybersecurity Coalition, a group of leading cybersecurity companies dedicated to educating policymakers on cybersecurity issues, said in a statement that the “CISA director plays a key role in leading the federal government’s cybersecurity efforts, and we valued Mr. Plankey’s expertise and leadership during President Trump’s first term. We’re excited for what’s next.”
Plankey’s nomination is a significant development that rounds out Trump’s cybersecurity leadership team. It follows Trump’s nomination of cybersecurity newcomer Sean Cairncross to the White House national cyber director and CISA’s hiring of well-respected cybersecurity veteran Karen Evans to be the executive assistant director for cybersecurity.
