Cyber Command executive director departs for expected role in private sector
Morgan Adamski’s place as the top civilian lead in the combatant command will be filled by NSA official Patrick Ware, amid vast leadership changes at the nation’s top hacking unit.
“After 17 years of service at the National Security Agency, I’ve decided to turn the page to an exciting new chapter in my career. It has been an extraordinary journey contributing to the defense of our Nation and advancing the cybersecurity mission across the U.S. Government,” Adamski wrote in a LinkedIn post Friday.
The number three spot in the combatant command is typically held by a civilian on detail from the National Security Agency.
Though Adamski did not clarify where she would be headed next, she noted her commitment to ensuring there were cyber solutions on “both sides of the fence.”
“Now is my time to live and learn from the other side, hopefully helping them along the way with the goal of bringing that knowledge back to the government some day,” she wrote. The Record reported that she is expected to go to the private sector.
Adamski was a threat analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency for about two years before pivoting to the National Security Agency, where she spent years working in operations and intelligence analysis. She became head of the NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center and, a year ago, was elevated to her Cyber Command leadership position.
Adamski’s departure was first reported by Politico and was also confirmed to Nextgov/FCW Thursday evening by a person familiar with the move. She has been praised for being a frequent public speaker representing the sensitive work of U.S. cyber warriors, appearing at industry conferences and community-driven hacker gatherings.
Ware has served in NSA for 34 years, working in sensitive offensive and defensive missions carried out by the nation’s signals intelligence titan, according to the Cyber Command website.
The moves come as NSA and Cyber Command — both traditionally led by a four-star military leader in a dual-hatted role — lack permanent top leadership. Gen. Timothy Haugh was fired in April following the recommendation of far-right activist Laura Loomer. The NSA’s civilian deputy director, Wendy Noble, was also let go.
Army Lt. Gen. Richard Angle was the choice of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and DNI Tulsi Gabbard to run the command and the spy agency, but the White House ultimately blocked the nomination for unspecified reasons, Politico and The Record recently reported. ]]>
