The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is set to undergo significant leadership changes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20, 2025. Among those departing the agency are CISA Director Jen Easterly, along with all other Biden administration appointees, including Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan, Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Jeff Greene, and Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security David Mussington.
While political appointees traditionally step down during presidential transitions, several key leaders in CISA’s organizational structure, such as Executive Director Bridget Bean and Chief of Staff Kathryn Coulter, are career federal employees and are expected to remain.
Jen Easterly’s departure marks the end of an era for CISA, during which she led the agency through a series of high-profile challenges and achievements. Appointed in 2021, Easterly took charge during a turbulent time following the 2020 election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and escalating cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. She quickly established herself as a forward-thinking and action-oriented leader.
One of her first major initiatives was the creation of the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), which aims to reduce cyber risks through continuous operational collaboration between public and private sector partners. This program became a cornerstone of CISA’s strategy, fostering greater resilience against cyber threats.
Easterly also focused heavily on workforce development, particularly in addressing talent shortages within the cybersecurity sector. She set a groundbreaking goal in 2022 to ensure that women make up 50% of the cybersecurity workforce by 2030, emphasizing diversity and inclusion as critical elements of CISA’s long-term strategy.
Her leadership in the Secure by Design initiative, launched in 2023, showcased her vision for reshaping cybersecurity practices. By advocating for technology manufacturers to bear more responsibility for building secure systems, Easterly sought to address vulnerabilities at their source rather than relying solely on end users to manage risks.
As the 2024 election approached, Easterly prioritized securing election infrastructure and boosting public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. She reassured Americans that “election infrastructure has never been more secure,” underscoring CISA’s efforts to strengthen collaboration with election officials and combat misinformation.
Easterly’s leadership at CISA is the latest chapter in a distinguished career spanning over two decades of public service and private-sector expertise. A graduate of West Point, she served over 20 years in the U.S. Army, where she stood up the Army’s first cyber battalion and was instrumental in the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command. She also served as executive assistant to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and later as a senior director for counterterrorism on President Obama’s National Security Council.
After her military service, Easterly transitioned to the private sector, joining Morgan Stanley as managing director and global head of the Fusion Resilience Center. She also contributed to the cybersecurity discourse as a senior fellow at New America’s International Security program.
The upcoming departure of Easterly and her fellow Biden appointees highlights the natural ebb and flow of government transitions. However, the continuation of CISA’s mission remains in the hands of career professionals and incoming leadership under the Trump administration.