A Conversation with Jen Easterly, Director of CISA
In a roundtable discussion with Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), on December 2 , students learned about evolving challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity. The conversation, organized by SIPA Cyber and moderated by Jason Healey, Senior Research Scholar in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs at SIPA, ranged from the impact of AI on cybersecurity to election security and disinformation mitigation.
Easterly’s visit capped a significant semester for the SIPA Cyber program, highlighted by SIPA’s conference on cyber regulation and harmonization, an event which featured leaders in the field from the White House and industry. “Before the presidential transition, this was probably the last time many of these officials will visit New York, so their visit to Morningside Heights was an important part of their reviewing cybersecurity progress over the last four years and looking ahead to the work to be done.
Easterly began by highlighting CISA’s mission and approach, which emphasizes collaborative and voluntary efforts—in partnership with the private sector, state, and local governments—to foster resilience and reduce risk to critical US infrastructure. She outlined CISA’s role as America’s cyber defense agency, noting that trust is the agency’s “most important currency.”
In her remarks, Easterly said a cornerstone of CISA’s work of late is the pursuit of “secure by design” principles: encouraging technology developers to prioritize security when creating software and systems. Easterly compared this outreach to historical safety campaigns, such as seat belt adoption. Successful and lasting change demands both persistence and cultural shifts to make cybersecurity a standard expectation across technology industries.
Easterly also shared her passion project, Secure Our World, a public service campaign that advocates for simple and relatable steps to improve cyber hygiene. For example: “Install your updates.” “Make better passwords. “”Use multifactor authentication.” Citing her inspiration from 1970s Schoolhouse Rock animated videos (of “I’m Just a Bill” fame), Easterly stressed the importance of creative and accessible public education approaches to cybersecurity.
Easterly was joined on her visit to SIPA by members of CISA’s Region 2, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Easterly and Healey highlighted how the Region 2 team can be a good fit for graduating students wanting to work on cybersecurity in the federal government in New York City, close to their alma mater.
In a personal and inspiring moment, Easterly reflected on the importance of mental health awareness in high-pressure environments, such as CISA, where the work comes with sky-high stakes for so many people. She shared her strategies, from adopting a puppy to introducing days at CISA fully dedicated to unstructured, restorative time for her team.
Easterly engaged students and faculty in attendance in a lively Q&A session. Among the conversation’s most prevalent themes was the critical role of collaborative leadership and innovative thinking in tackling today’s cybersecurity challenges. Easterly’s ideas were dynamic and informative, and her comments offered a fresh perspective on the intersection of technology, policy, and resilience in a digitally dependent world.