Senate panel OKs Trump’s Cybercom, NSA nominee

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Chief Army Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd has been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee as President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Despite having no prior experience in intelligence or cyberwarfare, Rudd advanced through his confirmation hearings after also receiving voice-vote approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. With the dual-hat NSA and Cybercom leadership role vacant for the last 10 months following Trump's dismissal of former NSA and Cybercom Chief Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, bipartisan lawmakers have been keen to fill the position.

The full Senate will now review Rudd's nomination and may take action by the end of the week, most likely by voice vote. However, any lawmaker might suspend the nomination for any reason, delaying action.