Ex-CISA chief blasts DHS leadership void amid agency struggles

Bridget Bean, the former acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, tells Politico that without Senate-confirmed leaders DHS agencies are not functioning effectively, describing the leadership gap as a ‘hot mess.’ She points to about 25 top DHS roles that are vacant or filled by acting officials, budget and personnel cuts at CISA, and a stalled nomination process for Sean Plankey, which undermines a unified, long-term strategy for homeland security and cybersecurity.