The Senate confirmed Sean Cairncross to serve as national cyber director on Saturday in a 59-35 vote, making him the third confirmed leader of the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD).
The ONCD, which was first stood up under the Biden administration in 2021, is responsible for advising the president on cybersecurity policy and strategy.
Cairncross, who President Donald Trump nominated in February, steps into the role after serving as the chief counsel at the Republican National Committee.
“I want to thank President Trump for this opportunity. It is an incredible honor to serve our country and this President as the National Cyber Director,” Cairncross said in a statement. “As the cyber strategic environment continues to evolve, we must ensure our policy efforts and capabilities deliver results for our national security and the American people.”
“The United States must dominate the cyber domain through strong collaboration across departments and agencies, as well as private industry. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will enter a new era of effective cybersecurity policy,” he added.
Cairncross lacks some of the technical experience that the first two national cyber directors, Chris Inglis and Harry Coker, brought to the job – both came to the role after serving at the National Security Agency.
During his confirmation hearing in June, Cairncross told Ranking Member Gary Peters, D-Mich., “It’s true, I don’t have a technical background in cyber.”
“But in my roles running private organizations and national party committees, I’ve been on the user side of this. I’ve had to deal with foreign-nation attacks on our systems. We’ve worked with the FBI and the intelligence community to learn about them, to stop them, and to monitor those attacks,” he said.
“On the management side, I have run thousands of people and billions of dollars in funds, and in doing those jobs, I surround myself with smart people … and take their advice,” Cairncross added.
Previously, Cairncross was the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a foreign aid agency that works on economic growth in developing countries. He also served as a senior advisor to the White House chief of staff during President Trump’s first term.
His confirmation was welcomed by many, including Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, and a former member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
“I want to extend my congratulations to Sean Cairncross on his confirmation by the United States Senate to serve as the next National Cyber Director. The bipartisan support for his nomination is both encouraging and essential – a clear sign that cybersecurity remains a top national security priority,” Cilluffo said in a statement.
“As a relatively new institution, ONCD continues to evolve. Sean’s leadership, experience, and commitment to public service will be vital to the Office’s growth into the center of gravity for cyber strategy, planning, coordination, and response,” he said. “I look forward to working with Sean and his team to strengthen our nation’s cyber resilience and readiness.”
The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a global tech trade association, also applauded his confirmation.
“ITI congratulates Sean Cairncross on his confirmation as National Cyber Director. Director Cairncross’ confirmation comes as foreign adversaries continue to attack U.S. critical infrastructure and the supply chains underpinning the digital economy,” ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman said in a statement.
“We urge Director Cairncross to focus on a strategic, coordinated approach to U.S. cyber policy. The global tech industry also supports reauthorization of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 in September, an essential law that will help ONCD achieve its cybersecurity mission,” Oxman said.
During his confirmation hearing, Cairncross pledged to work with Sen. Peters to extend the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, which is set to expire on Sept. 30.