Depature of Trump’s CISA director nominee from DHS fuels uncertainty

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is expected to remain without a leader after Trump nominee Sean Plankey left his post as senior Coast Guard advisor to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to Cybersecurity Dive.

While the departure was framed to be in preparation for his confirmation as CISA director, a source close to the matter told Cybersecurity Dive the development was neither amicable nor voluntary, with Plankey noted to have been escorted out of a DHS facility after a prep session for Noem's oversight hearings earlier this week had gone awry.

Such a development comes as Noem was reported to be leaving her post by the end of the month. Whether her replacement, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., would continue Plankey's nomination or opt for another CISA director nominee remains uncertain. Experts have warned that CISA may struggle to respond to increasing cyber threats, including activity linked to Iranian actors, if the agency continues to operate without a confirmed director.