Trump has chosen nominee to lead NSA, US Cyber Command

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has picked Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone to be the next director of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

Trump’s cyber adviser, Rob Joyce, announced the president’s pick in a tweet late Tuesday, praising Nakasone for having a strong background in cyber issues. If confirmed by the Senate, Nakasone would take on one of the nation’s top intelligence posts. He currently heads the U.S. Army Cyber Command.

The NSA has suffered setbacks in recent years from leaks of classified material and U.S. offensive hacking tools. There also is a move to try to split the dual-hat position into two — with one person leading the cyber command and another running NSA.

The current director, Mike Rogers, has announced his plans to retire in the spring.