
President Trump Replaces TSA Cybersecurity Chief David Pekoske, head of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and key cyber policy lead for aviation, pipelines and railroads, has been fired by the Donald Trump administration.
Appointed by Donald Trump in 2017 and reappointed by Joe Biden in 2022, David Pekoske received notice of his resignation on Monday. Pekoske was instrumental in developing cybersecurity standards following the 2021 Colonial Pipeline cyber attack. Under his leadership, 100% of critical US pipelines have achieved minimum cybersecurity standards, and compliance levels in the rail and aviation sectors have improved significantly.
Among its initiatives are mandatory reporting of cyber incidents, the development of a threat response plan and the appointment of a cyber security coordinator. Pekoske has also actively engaged with international experts, attending conferences such as DEF CON in 2023 to get the latest data on Chinese and Russian cyber threats.After the 2021 Colonial Pipeline hack, the Biden administration made cybersecurity a priority. TSA leaders, including Pecoske, have developed a set of new standards for the US transportation infrastructure.
However, with the arrival of the new Trump administration, many of Biden’s previous initiatives, including in the field of artificial intelligence and cyber security, have been canceled. The change in TSA leadership could affect U.S. cybersecurity initiatives, raising concerns among experts. It will be important to watch closely how the new TSA leadership will implement cybersecurity standards in the face of growing global threats.