Homeland Security veteran to be interviewed for Trump administration cyber role

A veteran of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during President Donald Trump’s first term has been invited to interview for a top cyber position at Mar-a-Lago in the next few weeks.

Brian Harrell, the agency’s former assistant secretary for infrastructure protection, was recently invited to Palm Beach to discuss a cyber position at DHS, according to two sources familiar with the interview plans.

The jobs Harrell is under consideration for include director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the DHS undersecretary of strategy, policy and plans, the source said.

Recorded Future News was the first to report Harrell is a top candidate for a senior cyber role in the next administration. 

Other job candidates have been engaged with the transition team for potential senior cybersecurity jobs. One source familiar with the state of play said Matt Hayden, DHS’s former assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience, is being considered. And Sean Plankey, a veteran of the cyber team at the National Security Council during Trump’s first term and the former acting assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response at the Department of Energy, is being considered as CISA director, two sources confirmed.

The forthcoming Mar-a-Lago interviews will also include candidates for non-cyber positions at DHS, including in immigration enforcement and at the Transportation Security Administration, a source familiar with the plans said.

Politico was first to report the interview plans are underway but did not identify who is being interviewed.