Karen Evans, a former chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, has joined the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as senior cyber adviser.
A CISA spokesperson confirmed Evans’ return to government service, Federal News Network reported Monday, adding that multiple sources claimed Evans would either become an executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA or assume a top-level position at DHS headquarters.
Meanwhile, the returning DHS executive announced her new role in a LinkedIn post on the same day.
Evans’ Recent Career History
Evans served in the first Trump administration as assistant secretary for cybersecurity, energy security and emergency response at the Department of Energy between 2018 and 2020. She then moved to the DHS for the CIO post and held the role from June 2020 to January 2021.
Evans worked as a partner at KE&T Partners and served as managing director of the nonprofit Cyber Readiness Institute after her government stint. She also played a leading role in a 2022 National Academy of Public Administration study on CISA’s role in building a national cybersecurity workforce.
Her appointment comes as DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called for a smaller CISA, leaving the agency’s future uncertain under the second Trump presidency.
