The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) appointed Brian Mazanec as its acting executive assistant director for infrastructure security, putting the former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official in charge of efforts to strengthen the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Mazanec was sworn in by CISA Acting Director Nick Andersen on Nov. 2, according to a LinkedIn announcement from the agency. He will oversee CISA’s Infrastructure Security Division, which works with government and private-sector partners to identify vulnerabilities, manage risks, and improve resilience across the nation’s 16 critical infrastructure sectors.
Mazanec brings more than two decades of experience in risk assessment, critical infrastructure protection, and public-private coordination, CISA said.
He most recently served as deputy assistant secretary and director of the Center for Preparedness within HHS’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, where he oversaw healthcare and public health readiness, operational coordination, and continuity and security efforts.
At HHS, Mazanec helped direct the department’s response to major cybersecurity incidents affecting the healthcare sector, including the 2024 Change Healthcare ransomware attack, which disrupted healthcare operations nationwide, according to his CISA leadership biography.
He also oversaw emergency response activities related to infectious disease outbreaks, including the 2026 hantavirus and Bundibugyo Ebola responses.
Before joining HHS, Mazanec led the strategic warfare, security, and intelligence portfolio at the Government Accountability Office and worked on weapons of mass destruction issues at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters, and the Joint Staff.
Photo credit: CISA