Rob Knake has stepped down from his post as deputy national cyber director for budget and policy within the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), MeriTalk has learned.
Knake first joined ONCD in February 2022, and his last day on the job was June 15. He previously served as the White House director for cybersecurity from 2011 to 2015, before joining the Council on Foreign Relations as a senior fellow for cyber policy.
It is unclear who will permanently replace Knake. However, Jake Braun – the former senior counselor for transformation at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – joined the ONCD team as a senior advisor on May 22, and he is “going fill a large part of Rob’s portfolio, including leading the implementation of the NCS [National Cybersecurity Strategy],” a knowledgeable source told MeriTalk.
Nevertheless, the source confirmed that Braun is not “a specific replacement for Rob or holding his title.”
It’s a busy time at ONCD, as the office is working fast to develop an implementation plan for the White House’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, as well as a workforce strategy to build a more resilient future.
ONCD has been targeting June as a “soft target” for the release of the NCS implementation plan.
