NEW YORK — Jen Easterly, who is stepping down as the leader of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), expressed her desire for the agency to continue its election support initiatives under new management during an event held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Her comments came during a discussion organized by the nonprofit Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where she highlighted the importance of providing resources to state and local election officials. “I really hope that we can keep supporting those officials. They have benefited from the resources we have delivered, and I believe they would agree,” she stated.
CISA’s role encompasses the protection of essential infrastructure across the nation, including vital facilities like dams, financial institutions, and nuclear plants. The agency’s responsibilities were expanded to include voting systems in the wake of the 2016 election, prompted by interference tactics employed by Russia.
As the new administration under President-elect Donald Trump takes shape, there has been a notable push from several Republican lawmakers and right-wing advocacy groups to significantly downsize or even disband CISA, particularly concerning its election-related duties. Among the prominent detractors is Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has indicated a strong desire to abolish the agency, having voiced his concerns about limiting CISA’s authority rather than expanding it during Senate discussions this past November.
Easterly expressed pride in the efforts made by CISA to foster trust and maintain open lines of communication with election officials from both major political parties since its inception in 2018 under the Trump administration. She referred to the collaboration between CISA and the intelligence community, which was crucial in analyzing and declassifying information related to foreign influence operations from nations like Russia, China, and Iran ahead of the 2024 presidential election. CISA’s proactive approach helped state and local officials respond to disinformation campaigns, including fabricated narratives from Russian sources that sought to misrepresent election integrity in pivotal counties.
“Honestly, I think we should prepare for increasingly serious threats from foreign adversaries, and we must be ready to manage those challenges as we did for the 2024 elections,” Easterly remarked.
CISA was established during Trump’s initial term, but the former president dismissed the agency’s first director, Chris Krebs, after Krebs publicly affirmed the safety and security of the 2020 election. Although Trump has yet to announce a successor for Easterly, his campaign focus on the defense of critical infrastructure against cyber threats lacks specific details regarding CISA’s electoral responsibilities moving forward.
In her address, Easterly also raised concerns about the escalating risks posed by China to critical U.S. infrastructure, encompassing essential systems like water supply, transportation, and telecommunications. She reiterated former warnings regarding China’s encroachment into civilian infrastructure and stressed the importance of preparedness against potential disruptions in the future.
