President Donald Trump on Nov. 9 nominated Michael LoSapio, chief information security officer (CISO) at software firm Palantir Technologies, to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
LoSapio would lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency responsible for protecting federal civilian networks and coordinating efforts to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure.
If confirmed by the Senate, LoSapio would fill a leadership vacancy approaching two years. Jen Easterly left the position in January 2025.
Nick Andersen currently serves as acting director. He took over in February after Madhu Gottumukkala moved to a new position as director of strategic implementation at DHS. Andersen previously served as CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity.
Trump’s previous nominee for CISA director, Sean Plankey, did not win Senate confirmation. The White House withdrew his nomination on April 27.
Plankey’s nomination encountered opposition from senators including Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who reportedly blocked it after DHS terminated a Coast Guard contract with a Florida shipyard. Plankey had been serving as a senior adviser at the Coast Guard while awaiting confirmation.
LoSapio brings security and engineering experience
LoSapio has served as Palantir’s CISO since September 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he led the company’s infrastructure and network security group beginning in December 2017.
Palantir specializes in data integration, analytics, and artificial intelligence platforms. Its federal work spans defense, intelligence, homeland security, and public health.
LoSapio’s earlier experience includes a systems engineering role at Palantir from 2013 to 2016, followed by more than a year at database company SingleStore before returning to Palantir. He also held systems engineering roles at New York University and Seton Hall University.
If confirmed, LoSapio would oversee implementation of CISA 2030: Defend, Harden, Prevail, the agency’s strategy released Oct. 26. The roadmap calls for eliminating adversaries’ footholds in critical infrastructure, strengthening operational technology security, and concentrating resources on infrastructure whose disruption would have the most severe consequences for national security, the economy, and public safety.
The strategy calls for CISA to begin reviewing its core services and capabilities within 60 days, provide an implementation and measurement plan within 180 days, and report on progress within 365 days.
LoSapio’s nomination comes as CISA faces renewed scrutiny over workforce reductions. In September, House Democrats introduced legislation that seeks an assessment of the agency’s workforce needs, noting that nearly 1,000 employees had been fired, sidelined, or pushed out since Trump took office.