Long-time Federal government IT and cybersecurity leader Karen Evans has returned to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a senior advisor in the agency’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) component, DHS confirmed to MeriTalk.
Evans previously served as chief information officer (CIO) at DHS during the first Trump administration. She also was assistant secretary for cybersecurity, energy security, and emergency response at the Department of Energy.
Most recently, Evans worked as managing director at the Cyber Readiness Institute, which, according to its website, seeks to “empower small and medium-sized enterprises with free tools and resources to help them become more secure and resilient.”
Evans’ first stint in Federal work occurred during the George W. Bush administration when she was administrator of the Office of Electronic Government and Information Technology at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). According to DHS archives, Evans oversaw $71 billion of annual IT investments during her time in the Bush administration.
Evans comes to CISA at a time when the agency’s top management focus is being revamped. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called for a “refocus” to CISA’s mission, with less emphasis on combatting misinformation and disinformation, during her confirmation hearing in January.
“They’re using their resources in ways that [were] never intended. The misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and meddled with should be refocused back onto what their job is,” Noem said during the hearing. “[CISA] needs to be much more effective, smaller, more nimble to fulfill their mission.”
