The White House’s top cyber security official is leaving his post with plans to return to the National Security Agency (NSA), the Trump administration said on Monday.
Rob Joyce, White House cyber security coordinator, is stepping down from his role on the National Security Council (NSC) less than a week after being named acting homeland security advisor following Tom Bossert’s resignation on April 10.
“Rob Joyce, a career federal employee detailed to the National Security Council, has conveyed his intent to return to his home agency, the National Security Agency. However, he has agreed to stay on as needed to provide continuity and facilitate the transition with his replacement. We are all grateful for Rob’s continued service to the nation,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, in a statement.
News of Joyce’s resignation was first reported by Reuters.
Joyce was overseeing the creation of the administration’s national cyber strategy (Defense Daily, Nov. 9) and led the effort to release a new charter detailing the NSC’s software vulnerability disclosure process (Defense Daily, Nov. 15).
It has not been announced when Joyce plans to leave the White House and rejoin the NSA, where he previously worked since 1989.
“Serving as the White House’s Cybersecurity Coordinator for the last 14-months has been a tremendous opportunity to work on some of our nation’s most important cyber challenges. I look forward to continuing to serve our nation at the agency I’ve called home for the last 27 years,” Joyce said in a statement.