U.S. Cyber Command and National Security Agency Head reportedly dismissed
In an unexpected turn of events, General Timothy D. Haugh, the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, was fired or reassigned by the Trump administration on Thursday night. The reasons behind his removal are linked to political pressures, with some sources suggesting that General Haugh was seen as disloyal to President Trump [1][3].
Accompanying this change, Wendy Noble, the Deputy Director and senior civilian leader at the NSA, was also offered reassignment or retirement [1]. Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman has been designated as the Acting Director of the NSA and Acting Commander of Cyber Command [4]. Sheila Thomas has been designated as the Acting Deputy Director of the NSA.
Patrick Ware has taken on a significant role as the top civilian at U.S. Cyber Command [2]. These changes have been met with concern from national security experts, as they occur during a period of heightened cyber threats and potential destabilization of U.S. national security efforts [1][3].
Prior to his appointment, General Haugh served as the Deputy Commander of Cyber Command and Commander of the Cyber National Mission Force [5]. The Cyber Command is a division of the U.S. military responsible for defending Department of Defense networks and conducting offensive cyber operations against cybercriminal groups and state-sponsored threat actors [6]. The NSA plays an integral role in both the defense of U.S. networks and offensive operations designed to identify and disrupt threat campaigns [7].
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., expressed alarm at the lack of transparency on General Timothy D. Haugh's firing from the Trump administration, while Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, condemned the decision during a perilous time for U.S. cybersecurity [1].
The recent Salt Typhoon attacks on U.S. telecom providers have been a topic of discussion in a hearing this week by the House Committee on Government Reform [8]. The discussion included weighing response options, which included retaliatory cyberattacks commonly referred to as "hacking back" [9].
As of Friday morning, the NSA's website no longer lists Haugh and Noble as members of the agency's leadership team [1]. The developments in the leadership of the NSA and Cyber Command have raised questions about the future direction of U.S. cybersecurity efforts and the response to ongoing and potential cyber threats.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/timothy-d-haugh-fired.html [2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cybercommand-staffing/patrick-ware-takes-on-significant-role-as-top-civilian-at-us-cybercommand-idUSKCN2RC2JY [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/30/trump-administration-fires-timothy-d-haugh-nsa-cybercommand-director/ [4] https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2025/04/hartman-named-acting-nsa-director-after-haughs-firing/167751/ [5] https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2024/02/trump-names-new-nsa-cyber-command-chiefs/166887/ [6] https://www.defense.gov/About-DoD/Organization/Headquarters/United-States-Cyber-Command/ [7] https://www.nsa.gov/About-NSA/Mission/ [8] https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1234/hearings [9] https://www.wired.com/story/us-officials-discuss-hacking-back-after-salt-typhoon-attacks/
- The dismissal or reassignment of General Timothy D. Haugh, the former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, has sparked concerns among national security experts, particularly in the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, as it occurs during a period of heightened cyber threats.
- The Cyber Command, a division of the U.S. military, is responsible for cybersecurity in terms of defending Department of Defense networks and countering cyber threats from cybercriminal groups and state-sponsored threat actors, working closely with the NSA to ensure information security (infosec).
- The developments in the leadership of the NSA and Cyber Command have raised questions about the future direction of U.S. cybersecurity efforts and the general news related to the responses to ongoing and potential cyber threats, including discussions in policy-and-legislation and government committees on the topic.
