Chris Inglis, the first person to serve as the national cyber director, is stepping down from the position in the next month or two, according to reports.
CNN was the first to break the news that Inglis, one of the most senior cybersecurity advisers in the Biden administration, was leaving the office that was created by Congress to ensure federal agencies operated from a coherent cyber policy.
Ingils did not deny to CNN that he was planning to resign, but also did not offer further comment, the cable news outlet reported Dec. 21.
Kemba Walden, currently serving as the principal deputy national cyber director, will be the acting director after Inglis’ departure.
The Office of the National Cyber Director was recommended by the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission and, along with the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was billed as “the equivalent of the secretary of defense and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, SC Media previously reported. King was the co-chairman of the commission.
The 2023 omnibus spending bill provided $22 million for the cyber director’s office, making it the first time the federal office received funding though an appropriations bill, according to SC Media’s Cybersecurity Collaborative partner MSSPAlert.
