Security News > 2021 > August > Black Hat: New CISA Head Woos Crowd With Public-Private Task Force

LAS VEGAS - Just weeks after the U.S. Senate confirmed Jen Easterly to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the new director spoke at Black Hat USA 2021 on Thursday, albeit virtually, announcing a major public-private partnership to fight cybercrime.

Easterly replaced CISA acting director Brandon Wales after the agency's founder and former director Christopher Krebs was fired by former President Trump in 2020.

Borrowing liberally from the design motif of the rock band AC/DC, Easterly debuted a tongue-in-cheek logo of JCDC. She said JCDC represents a move by CISA to up its ante in working with the private sector.

During the height of the SolarWinds attack, Easterly said, Trimarc founder Sean Metcalf was instrumental in helping CISA understand the byzantine nature of identity management.

Perhaps Easterly's biggest challenge in her new role will not be heaping praise on the cybersecurity community.

While acknowledging distrust within some segments of the cybersecurity community, Easterly urged the audience of security professionals to trust people first.

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https://threatpost.com/cisa-head-woos-security-crowd/168426/