CyberScoop reports that Sean Plankey, President Trump's nominee to head the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, pledged during a Senate hearing to prioritize removing Chinese influence from U.S. supply chains and reassess the agencys funding needs.
He expressed readiness to reorganize CISA if needed and to request additional resources. Plankey avoided stating whether he believed the 2020 election was stolen, saying the Electoral College confirmed Biden. He pledged to focus on election infrastructure security only if directed by DHS and stated firmly that he would not engage in censorship, emphasizing instead the need for sweeping federal IT reforms. While some Republicans claimed CISA shouldn't involve itself in election matters, others acknowledged its key role. The Center for Democracy and Technology voiced concern over CISA's unclear election security strategy. Plankey also supported renewing key cybersecurity programs set to expire. However, his confirmation is currently stalled by Sen. Ron Wyden, who is demanding the release of a report on vulnerabilities in U.S. telecom infrastructure.
He expressed readiness to reorganize CISA if needed and to request additional resources. Plankey avoided stating whether he believed the 2020 election was stolen, saying the Electoral College confirmed Biden. He pledged to focus on election infrastructure security only if directed by DHS and stated firmly that he would not engage in censorship, emphasizing instead the need for sweeping federal IT reforms. While some Republicans claimed CISA shouldn't involve itself in election matters, others acknowledged its key role. The Center for Democracy and Technology voiced concern over CISA's unclear election security strategy. Plankey also supported renewing key cybersecurity programs set to expire. However, his confirmation is currently stalled by Sen. Ron Wyden, who is demanding the release of a report on vulnerabilities in U.S. telecom infrastructure.
