Two senior officials resign from federal cybersecurity office, CISA

Two of the top technical pros from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) resigned April 21, causing more concern across the industry.

The most recent brain drain at CISA includes Bob Lord, a senior technical advisor, and Lauren Zabierek, a senior advisor. The news came after a turbulent couple of months in the federal cybersecurity community that included 1,300 layoffs related to the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" across CISA, the MITRE CVE program contract nearly expiring, and the firing of NSA Director Gen. Tim Haugh.  

Both Lord and Zabierek expressed regret at having made the decision to resign, but decided to move on, expressing hope that CISA’s highly regarded Secure by Design program promoted by former CISA Director Jen Easterly continues to make progress.

“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to help lead the agency’s work on Secure by Design software,” Lord said in a LinkedIn post announcing his resignation. "This was never a solo effort — hundreds of people across CISA, other U.S. agencies, international partners, software companies, open source projects, and more came together to build a movement.”

Zabierek said her work at CISA was more than a job in a LinkedIn post announcing her decision: “It’s a mission."

“I’m particularly proud of our work on the Secure by Design initiative,” said Zabierek. “Being part of this initiative has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, one that truly embodies the spirit of public-private partnership and both interagency and international collaboration.”

Industry pros expressed concern about the resignations and support for Lord and Zabierek.

Willy Leichter, chief marketing officer at AppSOC, said the decisions were another serious blow to federal leadership in cybersecurity.

“Dedicated experts at CISA are seeing experience replaced by loyalty and knowledge penalized,” said Leichter.

“Without strong government support, the private sector must now take the lead in strengthening cybersecurity,” said Leichter. “Lord and Zabierek bring integrity and expertise that will be even more valuable in this growing leadership void.”

Trey Ford, chief information security officer at Bugcrowd, added that Bob Lord is a widely respected, passionate, and eminently capable CISO and practitioner, who offered objective perspectives and access to minds across the industry for CISA.

“The community is stronger for the time and energy investment of these professionals who've stepped away from private industry to serve a higher calling,” said Ford. “The work that CISA carries on in the Secure by Design program is that rising tide lifting the security profile of companies and private citizens alike.”