White House cyber adviser to retire next week

White House cyber adviser Chris Inglis is set to resign from his post as national cyber director next week, The Hill has learned.

Inglis, who was appointed by Biden as the nation’s first national cyber director, is set to serve his last day on Feb. 15 after decades of government national security work and a year-and-a-half in the position. 

It was reported late last year that Inglis would step down from the role as President Biden’s principal adviser on cybersecurity policy and strategy and cybersecurity engagement with the country’s key stakeholders. 

Inglis’s principal deputy, Kemba Eneas Walden, will reportedly step up as acting director until the White House nominates an official successor. CNN first reported.

The cyber czar position was created as part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen the U.S. “digital ecosystem” while “aggressively addressing and mitigating the risks and threats at large in cyberspace,” according to the White House.

“As the first National Cyber Director, Chris Inglis has set a high bar for future officeholders. His long career in public service has made our nation safer,” House Homeland Security Committee Democrats wrote on Twitter.