ACCORDING to Dark Reading, Tom Parker, a British-born cybersecurity expert, has emerged as a possible contender to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) after a brutal 16 months without a Senate-confirmed director. Parker is described as a low-key operator with business savvy and decades of experience in cybercrime economics, defence, and national cybersecurity strategy, and he has not publicly confirmed any direct engagement with the administration about the role.
The piece notes that Parker is currently an executive with IBM, has launched and sold two startups—FusionX to Accenture in 2010 and Hubble to a group including CrowdStrike and Accel, sold to KKR/NetSPI in 2024—and has served as CISO for AIG Business.
It also mentions his past involvement with US-CERT, DHS advisory work, and Washington, DC, experience, while flagging that Senate confirmation will likely be a tough slog, especially given the previous nomination of Sean Plankey, who withdrew after a protracted process. The article is clear that while Parker has supporters, the decision remains unsettled as the White House and DHS await further developments.