White House Nominates Michael LoSapio to Lead CISA

The nomination would fill a leadership vacuum at the cybersecurity agency that has lacked a Senate-confirmed director for almost 22 months.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Cybersecurity

White House Nominates Michael LoSapio to Lead CISA

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The White House on Monday nominated Michael LoSapio, chief information security officer at Palantir Technologies, to direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He would replace acting director Nick Andersen at an agency whose staffing has fallen by about a third since 2025.

Why it matters

CISA is responsible for defending civilian networks from hackers and spies, and its leadership and capacity are under strain as AI-driven cyber threats increasingly challenge defenders in and out of government. The nomination comes after three large-scale breaches at DHS, the FBI, and the Pentagon were disclosed in the past three months.

The figures come from White House nomination announcements and reported CISA staffing levels, showing roughly a third fewer employees since 2025 and nearly 22 months without a confirmed director. Whether the nomination will advance through the Senate, and how staffing will be restored, remains unknown.

The players

Michael LoSapio

LoSapio is the chief information security officer at Palantir Technologies and the White House's nominee to direct CISA.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

CISA is the federal agency responsible for defending U.S. civilian networks against cyber threats from hackers and foreign spies.

Nick Andersen

Andersen is the acting CISA director whom LoSapio would replace.

The details

LoSapio, who is currently chief information security officer at Palantir Technologies, would take over from acting director Nick Andersen. The nomination was announced in Washington, and LoSapio had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

The nomination was announced Monday, November 9, 2026.
CISA has operated without a Senate-confirmed leader for almost 22 months.
Staffing began declining in 2025 after Trump took power.
Breaches at DHS, the FBI, and the Pentagon were disclosed in the past three months.

Big Picture

The nomination arrives in the shadow of the 2020 SolarWinds supply-chain breach, which pushed CISA into a central role in federal network defense. Yet the agency now faces a shrinking workforce and a leadership gap at the same moment that breaches at DHS, the FBI, and the Pentagon are drawing renewed attention.

Federal agencies and contractors that rely on CISA guidance may see shifts in threat-response priorities depending on who is confirmed to lead the agency. Civilian networks and the services that depend on them remain the frontline concern as staffing and leadership questions are resolved.

The takeaway

Leadership continuity and adequate staffing are central to how the federal government defends against increasingly AI-driven cyber threats. Readers tracking federal cybersecurity should watch the Senate confirmation process for LoSapio.