DHS picks Marine, intelligence veteran as new CIO
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security has selected Antoine McCord as its new chief information officer, a spokesperson with the agency’s Management Directorate confirmed Friday. According to the agency, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps, specializing in cyber and intelligence operations and “gaining hands-on experience in threat detection and technology integration.” After his time with the Marines, McCord joined the U.S. Intelligence Community, according to DHS, in roles that saw him oversee cyber operations against advanced threats and serve as an adviser on national security issues. McCord, who DHS said has more than 18 years of experience in cyber opse and national security, also spent time in the private sector in cybersecurity and defense technology roles, according to the agency. McCord will be stepping into a CIO role that was filled during the Biden administration by Eric Hysen, who also led the department’s artificial intelligence efforts. An Office of Personnel Management memo sent last month recommended that agencies change CIO designations from “career reserved” to “general,” an apparent attempt to make the technical position more political.