President Trump to Nominate Former RNC Official as National Cyber DirectorPresident Trump to Nominate Former RNC Official as National Cyber Director

President Donald Trump reportedly will nominate Sean Cairncross, former chief operating officer of the Republican National Committee (RNC), as the new head of the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), according to multiple reports.

Cairncross's name apparently was mentioned in a list of planned White House nominees for various posts in the administration obtained by Politico, Axios, and other media outlets.

As national cyber director, Cairncross will play a key role in developing and shaping US cybersecurity policies in the new administration.

The ONCD serves as one of the principal advisers to the president on cybersecurity matters. Unlike the US Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA), which handles operational cybersecurity and directly engages with federal agencies, ONCD's primary mission is to develop a high-level, whole-of-nation cybersecurity strategy. Among other things, the ONCD led the development of President Joe Biden's National Cybersecurity Strategy of March 2023.

Influential Role

In his new role, Cairncross would be responsible for coordinating national cybersecurity policy, advising the president on cyber threats, and ensuring a unified federal response to emerging cyber-risks. He would share responsibility for advising the president on cyber matters, along with the director of cyber at the White House National Security Council (NSC) — a group that advises the president on all matters security related, and not just cyber.

Cairncross is a former RNC official and CEO of the independent US foreign aid agency Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). He brings considerable political experience but lacks formal cybersecurity credentials.

As CEO of the MCC from 2019 to 2020, Cairncross oversaw the agency's efforts to alleviate poverty through economic growth in developing nations. Before that, he was deputy assistant to President Trump and senior adviser to the White House chief of staff, and had served as chief operating officer (COO) of the RNC during the 2016 election cycle.

If confirmed, Cairncross fills the role formerly held by Harry Coker Jr., a former CIA senior executive and career Naval officer who served as the White House national cyber director from December 2023 to January, 2025. Coker now serves as Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary after his appointment by Maryland Governor Wes Moore in late January.

Meanwhile, Politico last week reported that Trump had appointed Alexei Bulazel, a former security researcher at Apple and former director of the NSC, as the new senior director for cyber at the Council. If true, that would make Cairncross the second high-level cybersecurity appointment that Trump has made since taking office on Jan. 20.

Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

The nomination of Cairncross as national cyber director marks a significant development in the Trump administration's still nascent but evolving cyber strategy. In just four weeks in the White House, Trump has implemented changes that have sent ripples through the cybersecurity industry.

One of his first acts in office was to rescind a Biden administration executive order that required developers of major artificial intelligence projects and systems to adhere to safety and ethical guidelines. He has, however, left two other Biden cybersecurity executive orders untouched thus far: EO 14111, Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation's Cybersecurity; and EO 14028, Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity.

Almost immediately after taking office, the Trump administration terminated advisory committee members within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That included members of CISA's Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), which among other things was investigating Chinese group Salt Typhoon's attacks on US critical infrastructure.

The Trump administration's moves have impacted CISA as well. Earlier this week, 17 CISA staffers involved in efforts to combat election-related threats were placed on leave pending an internal review of their work. In a report last week, NPR quoted unnamed CISA staffers as saying they had received deferred resignation offers as part of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to cut costs across the federal government.