Thomas Unise
Former CISA Director Jen Easterly has been appointed as the new CEO of RSA Conference (RSAC), marking a significant leadership transition for the prominent cybersecurity event organizer. With her extensive background spanning military, government, and private sector roles, Easterly brings a wealth of experience to RSAC as it navigates an evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Key Details About the Appointment
Easterly, who led the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for over three years, takes the helm of RSAC at a critical juncture for the cybersecurity industry. The organization, which began in 1991 as a small cryptography event, has grown into a major platform with tens of thousands of attendees at its annual San Francisco conference.
In her interview with WIRED, Easterly emphasized that RSAC is expanding beyond its flagship conference to become “a year-round global membership entity for cyber professionals.” Her vision includes deeper internationalization and supporting the next generation of AI-driven cybersecurity companies and secure-by-design innovators.
Easterly’s Background and Approach
Easterly’s career spans multiple domains of security expertise:
- Multiple deployments in the US Army
- Work at the National Security Agency
- Helped establish US Cyber Command within the Department of Defense
- Nearly five years managing Morgan Stanley’s global cybersecurity
- Led CISA from 2021 until the end of 2024
She describes herself as a “lifelong independent” and emphasizes that cybersecurity transcends political administrations and national borders. Despite the Trump administration not asking her to remain at CISA during the transition and West Point rescinding an employment offer to her in July, Easterly maintains that cybersecurity is “not a political endeavor.”
Industry Context and Future Direction
Easterly’s appointment comes during what she calls an “inflection point” for the industry. Key contextual factors include:
- The growing influence of AI tools on both attack and defense capabilities
- Security experts’ crucial role in securing AI platforms and infrastructure
- Potential changes to public-private cybersecurity partnerships under the Trump administration
Looking ahead, Easterly indicates that RSAC will continue to welcome insights and collaboration from officials of all governments as part of its community-building efforts. She believes in the “magic” that can happen when the security community has supportive forums for collaboration.
“Security and resilience are issues that affect every country, every industry, every citizen,” Easterly stated, highlighting RSAC’s strength in bringing together diverse stakeholders “across administrations and across borders” based on expertise and mission rather than politics.
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