Krebs's professional work has focused on cybersecurity and risk management issues. He served as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security for Infrastructure Protection, and later worked in the private sector as Director for Cybersecurity Policy for
Microsoft. In March 2017, he became Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. In August 2017, he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection. He performed the duties of the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs until he was confirmed to that position permanently on June 15, 2018. In November 2018, the National Protection and Programs Directorate was replaced by the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Krebs remained as director of the agency. although he was reported to be uninterested in the position.
2020 dismissal and 2025 investigation As CISA's director, Krebs was the "administration's most senior cybersecurity official responsible for securing the presidential election", held on November 3, 2020.
Sidney Powell, an attorney for Trump and
Michael Flynn, asserted on the
Lou Dobbs and
Maria Bartiromo Fox News programs that a secret government supercomputer program had switched votes from Trump to Biden in the election, a claim Krebs dismissed as "nonsense" and a "hoax." CISA created a website to debunk election-related disinformation, much of which was being promoted by President
Donald Trump and his allies. On November 12, it was reported that Krebs expected to be fired from his position. On November 17, 2020, Krebs said in a tweet that "59 election security experts all agree, "in every case of which we are aware, these claims (of fraud) either have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent." Later that month, a lawyer for the Trump campaign,
Joseph diGenova, called for Krebs to be "
drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot". DiGenova's specific criticism was that Krebs "thinks the election went well". Krebs responded to diGenova's tweet in an op-ed in
The Washington Post, saying "I am not going to be intimidated by these threats from telling the truth to the American people." On December 8, 2020, Krebs filed a civil lawsuit against diGenova, the Trump campaign, and
Newsmax TV, accusing them of "defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, aiding and abetting, and civil conspiracy". He said that he has received "a barrage of threats and harassment" as a result of diGenova's comments and "faces a genuine risk of imminent harm". In April 2021, diGenova apologized to Krebs for his comments. On January 10, 2021, Krebs suggested that Trump should resign the presidency following the
January 6 United States Capitol attack. On April 9, 2025, during
his second presidency, Trump signed an
executive order revoking
security clearances for Krebs and
Miles Taylor, a former
chief of staff of the
United States Department of Homeland Security, as well as ordering investigations into the work of both men during their time in office. Some of Krebs's former colleagues have said that the Executive Order targeting him is based on a "personal vendetta" and the case has drawn extensive media attention. On April 30, 2025, Krebs claimed that he had lost his
Global Entry status, and that he suspected it was the result of retribution by the Trump administration against him.
Private-sector career After leaving office, Krebs joined former Facebook
CISO Alex Stamos at the beginning of 2021 to form Krebs Stamos Group, a cybersecurity consultancy, which quickly landed its first customer, the recently beleaguered
SolarWinds. Krebs Stamos Group was acquired by
SentinelOne in late 2023, Krebs remained as the company's chief intelligence and public policy officer. Krebs resigned from SentinelOne in April 2025 citing personal decisions.
Issue One – Council for Responsible Social Media In October 2022, Krebs joined the Council for Responsible Social Media project launched by
Issue One to address the negative mental, civic, and public health impacts of
social media in the United States co-chaired by former
House Democratic Caucus Leader
Dick Gephardt and former
Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. == References ==