Trump’s cyber chief pick has little experience in The Cyber
(2025/02/12)
- Reference: 1739394853
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/02/12/trump_cybersecurity_chief/
- Source link:
President Trump has reportedly chosen a candidate for National Cyber Director — another top tech appointee with no professional experience in that role.
Citing non-public documents listing multiple planned Trump nominations, Politico [1]reports the President intended to nominate Sean Cairncross to take over the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) following the departure of Biden appointee [2]Harry Coker .
We've contacted the White House to confirm the news.
[3]
Cairncross, a lawyer by profession, began his career at the prestigious Covington and Burling law firm, later working as a partner at Holtzman Vogel, which specializes in political and regulatory litigation. He also served as both deputy assistant to the President and senior White House advisor to the Chief of Staff during the first Trump administration before being confirmed by the US Senate in 2019 to serve as [4]the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US foreign aid agency that provides grants to developing countries to aid in economic growth.
[5]
[6]
Cairncross also has an extensive history as legal counsel for the Republican party. He was the chief operating officer of the Republican National Committee from 2015 to 2016, previously worked at the RNC as chief counsel from 2007 to 2009, and served as the deputy executive director and general counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009 to 2013.
Like Trump's [7]pick for White House Chief Information Officer, Cairncross' professional history lacks direct professional experience for the role, though even the CIO pick served in a related position as the CISO of an AI startup, putting him in a position at least adjacent to his Trump-appointed responsibilities.
[8]
Cairncross' only apparent exposure to cybersecurity policy and strategy - key responsibilities of the National Cyber Director - stems from his time as a senior visiting [9]fellow at Purdue University's Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy. The institute, co-founded in 2021 by former Trump under-secretary of state and ex-DocuSign CEO [10]Keith Krach , describes [11]its mission as a bipartisan group aiming to "accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technologies to defeat … the weaponization of technology by authoritarian regimes."
[12]Infosec was literally the last item in Trump's policy plan, yet major changes are likely on his watch
[13]US freezes foreign aid, halting cybersecurity defense and policy funds for allies
[14]White House report dishes deets on all 11 major government breaches from 2023
[15]Trump admin seeks to reclassify federal CIOs, opening door to political appointees
Cairncross' bio on the Krach Institute website also mentions that, in his role as senior White House advisor to the Chief of Staff, he sat proxy on the National Security Council Principals Committee, and also "provided counsel on a variety of issues including matters related to national security."
We reached out to the institute for further comment and information.
By contrast, the former National Cyber Director Coker holds a law degree but built his career in national security, and spent decades in non-political roles within the US government, focusing on security and intelligence.
Coker spent 17 years with the CIA, [16]serving in both the Directorate of Digital Innovation and the Directorate of Science and Technology. He later served as the executive director of the NSA before stepping into his National Cyber Director role under Biden.
[17]
If given a nod by the Senate, Cairncross will be the third person to be confirmed for the cyber director role since the role was established in 2021. The first was intelligence career man [18]Chris Inglis . ®
Speaking of interesting choices for critical jobs, former Democratic congresswoman-cum-Trump-ally Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as Director of National Intelligence despite some misgivings about her qualifications, and previous [19]statements and relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin and former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Gabbard, a military veteran who left the Democratic party in 2022, has also never held an intelligence role in the US government, with her closest relationship to the intelligence community being her service on the House Homeland Security Committee when serving as a representative from Hawaii.
It wasn’t a given that Gabbard was going to pass muster in the Senate, though her confirmation vote ultimately came down on party lines, with a single Republican defecting to join Democrats in opposing her: Former majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” McConnell said, describing Gabbard as being unprepared for the responsibility of her role.
“Edward Snowden’s treasonous betrayal of the United States and its most sensitive lawful intelligence activities endangered sources, methods, and lives. Japan is among America’s closest treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific, and the risk of conflict in the region is the product of Chinese aggression, not western ‘threat inflation,’” McConnell added.
“Russia’s escalation of its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine threatens American interests and is solely the responsibility of Vladimir Putin.
“Entrusting the coordination of the intelligence community to someone who struggles to acknowledge these facts is an unnecessary risk,” the Republican senator concluded.
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[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/11/sean-cairncross-cyber-director-nomination-00203759
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/08/oncd_director_harry_coker_exit_remarks/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://web.archive.org/web/20210117064328/https://www.mcc.gov/about/profile/bio-cairncross-sean
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/28/the_us_governments_new_cio/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://techdiplomacy.org/people/sean-cairncross/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/26/keith_krach_undersecretary_of_state_usa_vs_huawei/
[11] https://techdiplomacy.org/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/trump_cyber_policy/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/27/us_state_department_freezes_cyber_aid/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/12/white_house_report/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/05/trump_administration_reclassified_cios/
[16] https://web.archive.org/web/20231222063843/https://mccrary.auburn.edu/experts/senior-fellows/coker-harry/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.mitre.org/who-we-are/our-people/chris-inglis
[19] https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-putin-intelligence-russia-syria-a798adaf9cd531a5d0c9329f7597f0f6
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Citing non-public documents listing multiple planned Trump nominations, Politico [1]reports the President intended to nominate Sean Cairncross to take over the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) following the departure of Biden appointee [2]Harry Coker .
We've contacted the White House to confirm the news.
[3]
Cairncross, a lawyer by profession, began his career at the prestigious Covington and Burling law firm, later working as a partner at Holtzman Vogel, which specializes in political and regulatory litigation. He also served as both deputy assistant to the President and senior White House advisor to the Chief of Staff during the first Trump administration before being confirmed by the US Senate in 2019 to serve as [4]the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US foreign aid agency that provides grants to developing countries to aid in economic growth.
[5]
[6]
Cairncross also has an extensive history as legal counsel for the Republican party. He was the chief operating officer of the Republican National Committee from 2015 to 2016, previously worked at the RNC as chief counsel from 2007 to 2009, and served as the deputy executive director and general counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009 to 2013.
Like Trump's [7]pick for White House Chief Information Officer, Cairncross' professional history lacks direct professional experience for the role, though even the CIO pick served in a related position as the CISO of an AI startup, putting him in a position at least adjacent to his Trump-appointed responsibilities.
[8]
Cairncross' only apparent exposure to cybersecurity policy and strategy - key responsibilities of the National Cyber Director - stems from his time as a senior visiting [9]fellow at Purdue University's Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy. The institute, co-founded in 2021 by former Trump under-secretary of state and ex-DocuSign CEO [10]Keith Krach , describes [11]its mission as a bipartisan group aiming to "accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technologies to defeat … the weaponization of technology by authoritarian regimes."
[12]Infosec was literally the last item in Trump's policy plan, yet major changes are likely on his watch
[13]US freezes foreign aid, halting cybersecurity defense and policy funds for allies
[14]White House report dishes deets on all 11 major government breaches from 2023
[15]Trump admin seeks to reclassify federal CIOs, opening door to political appointees
Cairncross' bio on the Krach Institute website also mentions that, in his role as senior White House advisor to the Chief of Staff, he sat proxy on the National Security Council Principals Committee, and also "provided counsel on a variety of issues including matters related to national security."
We reached out to the institute for further comment and information.
By contrast, the former National Cyber Director Coker holds a law degree but built his career in national security, and spent decades in non-political roles within the US government, focusing on security and intelligence.
Coker spent 17 years with the CIA, [16]serving in both the Directorate of Digital Innovation and the Directorate of Science and Technology. He later served as the executive director of the NSA before stepping into his National Cyber Director role under Biden.
[17]
If given a nod by the Senate, Cairncross will be the third person to be confirmed for the cyber director role since the role was established in 2021. The first was intelligence career man [18]Chris Inglis . ®
Speaking of interesting choices for critical jobs, former Democratic congresswoman-cum-Trump-ally Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as Director of National Intelligence despite some misgivings about her qualifications, and previous [19]statements and relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin and former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Gabbard, a military veteran who left the Democratic party in 2022, has also never held an intelligence role in the US government, with her closest relationship to the intelligence community being her service on the House Homeland Security Committee when serving as a representative from Hawaii.
It wasn’t a given that Gabbard was going to pass muster in the Senate, though her confirmation vote ultimately came down on party lines, with a single Republican defecting to join Democrats in opposing her: Former majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” McConnell said, describing Gabbard as being unprepared for the responsibility of her role.
“Edward Snowden’s treasonous betrayal of the United States and its most sensitive lawful intelligence activities endangered sources, methods, and lives. Japan is among America’s closest treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific, and the risk of conflict in the region is the product of Chinese aggression, not western ‘threat inflation,’” McConnell added.
“Russia’s escalation of its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine threatens American interests and is solely the responsibility of Vladimir Putin.
“Entrusting the coordination of the intelligence community to someone who struggles to acknowledge these facts is an unnecessary risk,” the Republican senator concluded.
Get our [20]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/11/sean-cairncross-cyber-director-nomination-00203759
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/08/oncd_director_harry_coker_exit_remarks/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://web.archive.org/web/20210117064328/https://www.mcc.gov/about/profile/bio-cairncross-sean
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/28/the_us_governments_new_cio/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://techdiplomacy.org/people/sean-cairncross/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/26/keith_krach_undersecretary_of_state_usa_vs_huawei/
[11] https://techdiplomacy.org/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/trump_cyber_policy/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/27/us_state_department_freezes_cyber_aid/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/12/white_house_report/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/05/trump_administration_reclassified_cios/
[16] https://web.archive.org/web/20231222063843/https://mccrary.auburn.edu/experts/senior-fellows/coker-harry/
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z60oDjfmiQq7f-id6OAOmgAAAQo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.mitre.org/who-we-are/our-people/chris-inglis
[19] https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-trump-putin-intelligence-russia-syria-a798adaf9cd531a5d0c9329f7597f0f6
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
MonkeyJuice
It's all right. [1]Big balls will be able to on-board him in the fine art of leaking in no time.
It's extremely weird and disorienting that I'm agreeing with McConnell regarding Gabbard, but I suppose a broken clock and all that.
[1] https://gizmodo.com/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-a-19-year-old-doge-stooge-named-big-balls-is-now-advising-the-state-department-2000562035
Fruit and Nutcase
The article that link to gizmodo resolves to states...
Coristine was actually fired from that firm after he leaked “internal information to the [company’s] competitors.”
Somehow I have a feeling there'll be many more incidences like that over the next 4 years - from the top down - though this time, it's not proprietary company information but state secrets of the US of A - to Putin and others who don't have the best interests of the US of A
Sorry that handle is already taken.
though this time, it's not proprietary company information but state secrets of the US of A And not just the state's secrets. By way of example, the previous (conservative) Australian government developed a habit of leaking the personal information of private citizens as a way to threaten and suppress them. We'll no doubt see that kind of thing on a whole new level from this American regime.
chivo243
Coristine was actually fired from that firm after he leaked “internal information to the [company’s] competitors.
There's a mouth piece for you... give him a couple of stiff drinks and get him monologuing, roll tape! Hours later, that's a wrap!!
Specializes in political and regulatory litigation
that one in the corner
So he will be able to say how far things can be taken whilst still *just* remaining winnable in court against accusations of opening the barn doors wide.
Rogue Cyber factions
Anonymous Coward
Will the Cyber Director have anything left to direct after Cyber Leader Musk is finished?
MAXIMUM DELETION!
Kakistocracy
Sorry that handle is already taken.
The headline could really be generalised to "Trump's
It was never about much more than cronyism, with a side order of destroying trust in government systems. Shame too few Americans could see that.
Talking out of his arse? Intent on causing the greatest possible harm for the maximum personal gain? He’ll fit right in with the modern GOP.
And the GOP voters won’t care - they lack the faculties for critical thinking to know any better. They’ll believe whatever they’re told as long as what they’re told isn’t evidence based and is done entirely for the ‘feels’.