CISA Expands Senior Adviser to the Director Role to Cover Election Security

Caitlin Conley, senior adviser to the director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has been tasked to support election security efforts by leading partnership engagement and coordination efforts with relevant officials.

Her new duties were announced by CISA Director Jen Easterly, who emphasized that protecting elections is one of the organization’s chief priorities. Easterly, a 2023 Wash100 winner, noted that Conley will be replacing Senior Election Security Lead Kim Wyman, who is expected to leave the agency in July to join the private sector.

Easterly also touted Conley’s credentials and leadership experience revolving around cybersecurity and counterterrorism.

Conley was formerly the executive director of the Defending Digital Democracy Project at Harvard University’s Belfer Center. While there, she led the development and implementation of tools and best practices that election administrators and infrastructure operators could use to defend against cyber threats.

Previously, Conley served in the U.S. Army as a cyber and special operations leader, CISA said Friday.