WASHINGTON – With the support of U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the nomination of Christopher C. Krebs to serve as the top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security. McCaskill serves as the top-ranking Democrat on the Committee.
“Barely a week goes by without hearing about the latest cyber incident—and the Department of Homeland Security plays a vital role helping the federal government, as well as businesses in Missouri and across the country, protect their systems,” McCaskill said. “Mr. Krebs is highly qualified to lead the agency’s cybersecurity efforts, and I look forward to working closely with him once he is confirmed.”
As Under Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate, Krebs will lead the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to protect cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. Krebs has extensive cybersecurity experience, including previous service at the Department of Homeland Security and spending nearly a decade in the private sector working on cybersecurity issues.
McCaskill serves as the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight jurisdiction over federal agencies’ national security methods and processes, including cybersecurity. Last month, the Senate approved a McCaskill-backed bill to strengthen cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security. It also last year approved a McCaskill-backed bill that addresses cybersecurity threats to small businesses. Following the Office of Personnel Management data breach, which compromised the personal information of at least 21.5 million individuals, McCaskill and a group of bipartisan Senators introduced language that was signed into law increasing the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to protect federal civilian networks from cyberattacks.
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