Trump administration turns out in SF
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Top cyber officials in the Trump administration are among those here in San Francisco this week — though the NSA and Cyber Command are both absent after President Trump unexpectedly fired Gen. Timothy Haugh this month.
- Typically, the U.S. government's entire roster of cyber officials attends the RSA Conference to meet with industry stakeholders, but it was unclear until last week what presence — if any — Trump's team would have.
Why it matters: DOGE-fueled workforce and budget cuts have created uncertainty about what role the federal government intends to play in protecting U.S. organizations and citizens from malicious hackers.
Zoom in: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be on the RSAC main stage today talking about her cybersecurity priorities and the Trump administration's accomplishments ahead of its 100th day in office.
- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is also bringing its city-themed cyberattack simulation — which it debuted at the DEF CON hacker conference in August — to this week's conference. The simulation follows how a ransomware attack on a local hospital would impact a fictional city.
- Michael Garcia, associate chief of policy at CISA, spoke at a panel yesterday about responding to critical infrastructure attacks. Richard Evanchec, an FBI section chief, was also on that panel.
- Some officials at CISA and the Office of the National Cyber Director, including nominees, are also in town to take meetings on the sidelines of RSAC with industry executives, Axios has learned.
Yes, but: The NSA and Cyber Command canceled their previously scheduled public appearances, and spokespeople for both agencies confirmed none of their officials are attending.
Between the lines: Major cuts at CISA and a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into former CISA director Chris Krebs have rattled the industry's trust in the federal government.
- Without that trust, companies may be less willing to share sensitive threat information with the government, and the government could lose visibility into the threats facing U.S. critical infrastructure — which is mostly owned by the private sector.
