Critical Infrastructure Security, Governance, Risk and Compliance

Trump axes TSA chief who led pipeline, airline, rail cybersecurity rules

A United Airlines 787 Dreamliner lands at San Francisco International Airport on October 19, 2021 in San Francisco, California. Five Republican Senators are asking the Biden administration to hold off on an emergency cybersecurity directive for rail and aviation companies and engage more with industry to avoid “unintended consequences.”...

Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske — who spearheaded the development of cybersecurity directives for the pipeline, aviation, and rail sectors under the Biden administration — has been ousted by President Donald Trump, who had appointed Pekoske to the post in 2017, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Implementation of cybersecurity rules advanced by Pekoske following the devastating Colonial Pipeline hack in 2021 has since led to the adoption of minimum cybersecurity standards across all critical pipelines, 57% of aviation organizations, and 68% of railways by the end of Biden's term. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the White House have provided any information regarding Pekoske's replacement. Pekoske's axing comes amid a flurry of cybersecurity-related actions executed by Trump just hours after being inaugurated, including the reversal of Biden executive orders regarding the Office of the National Cyber Director and safe and secure artificial intelligence development.

Get daily email updates

SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news

By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You can skip this ad in 5 seconds