At a Glance
- Jen Easterly, former CISA director, becomes CEO of RSAC Conference
- She will expand the event into a year-round global membership network
- Focus on AI-driven cyber startups and secure-by-design innovation
- Why it matters: The move signals RSAC’s shift from annual meet-up to global cybersecurity powerhouse
Jen Easterly, who led the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for more than three years, has been named CEO of RSAC Conference. The prominent gathering of cybersecurity experts, vendors, and researchers started in 1991 as a small cryptography event hosted by RSA and now draws tens of thousands to San Francisco each spring.
A Broader Mandate
Easterly tells News Of Fort Worth that the flagship conference remains central but that RSAC is now “a year-round global membership entity for cyber professionals.” She plans to deepen international reach and grow the innovation sandbox, early-stage expo, and startup ecosystem. The goal is to support the next generation of AI-driven cyber companies and secure-by-design innovators producing high-quality software.
“We are living through an inflection point,” she notes, pointing to rapid advances in artificial intelligence and shifting government policy.
Career of Cross-Sector Service
The new CEO describes herself as a lifelong independent who has served across administrations and borders. Her résumé includes:
- Multiple deployments in the U.S. Army
- Positions at the National Security Agency
- A role helping establish U.S. Cyber Command within the Department of Defense
- Nearly five years as global cybersecurity chief at Morgan Stanley
- Senate-confirmed tenure at CISA beginning in 2021
Throughout, she has emphasized trust building and collaboration.
Political Headwinds
The Trump administration did not ask Easterly to stay at CISA after the 2024 transition. President Donald Trump has criticized CISA’s election-integrity work under her and predecessor Chris Krebs. Separately, in July the Army directed West Point to rescind an offer for Easterly to become the Robert F. McDermott Distinguished Chair of the Department of Social Sciences.
She says she approaches the RSAC leadership role “with the same relentless optimism and belief in the power of community that’s been at the center of my service, public and private. Cybersecurity is not a political endeavor, RSAC is certainly not a political organization, and I am not a political person. I am a lifelong independent.”
Global Collaboration Focus
Easterly stresses that RSAC Conference will continue welcoming insights from officials of all governments. She believes “magic” happens when the security community gathers in supportive forums.
“Security and resilience are issues that affect every country, every industry, every citizen,” she adds. “RSAC’s strength is that it brings together operators and technologists and innovators and researchers and policymakers across administrations and across borders precisely because it is grounded in expertise and mission, not in politics.”
Key Takeaways
- RSAC rebrands its flagship event as RSAC Conference while expanding beyond a once-a-year meeting
- Easterly takes the helm amid industry-wide shifts driven by AI and geopolitical change
- The organization aims to nurture startups and promote secure-by-design software practices
- Despite recent political friction, the new CEO pledges a non-partisan, global approach
Updated 9 am ET, January 15, 2026: Clarified that RSA Conference LLC’s flagship event has now been rebranded as RSAC Conference.
