Key Takeaways
- Scott Breor has been appointed to lead CISA’s Infrastructure Security Division (ISD) following Steve Casapulla’s detail to the White House cyber office.
- The leadership shuffle includes Sean Haglund as acting deputy director of ISD and Chip Abernathy moving to the National Risk Management Center, with further decisions expected for the Strategy, Policy and Plans Office.
- CISA is preparing a major workforce expansion, aiming to hire hundreds of new employees in the coming months.
- Breor brings a blend of senior executive service experience, naval aviation background, and policy expertise to the role.
- ISD’s mission centers on assessing vulnerabilities, strengthening resilience, and coordinating protection of U.S. critical infrastructure across government and private sectors.
- The upcoming 2026 Homeland Security Summit will highlight artificial intelligence, cyber defense, and DHS operational capabilities, offering a forum for stakeholders to discuss future homeland security challenges.
Scott Breor Named to Lead CISA Infrastructure Security Division
Scott Breor, currently serving as associate director for security programs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has been named to lead the agency’s Infrastructure Security Division (ISD). The appointment, reported by Nextgov/FCW, places Breor at the helm of a division tasked with safeguarding the nation’s critical infrastructure. As associate director for security programs, Breor already oversees the development of tools and resources designed to mitigate threats to public gathering locations and events. His new role will require him to expand that focus to encompass the broader spectrum of infrastructure sectors, ranging from energy and transportation to communications and water systems. The leadership change signals CISA’s intent to maintain continuity while adapting to evolving threats and internal realignments.
Context: Steve Casapulla’s Detail to White House Cyber Office
Breor’s promotion follows the temporary assignment of Steve Casapulla, a senior CISA infrastructure security executive, to the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). Casapulla has been detailed to serve as assistant national cyber director for policy, a position that places him directly within the White House’s cybersecurity advisory structure. This move reflects the administration’s effort to bring deep operational expertise from CISA into the highest levels of national cyber policymaking. Casapulla’s departure created a vacancy at the top of ISD, prompting a series of acting and permanent appointments to ensure the division’s functions continue without interruption. The detail underscores the fluid nature of leadership across federal cybersecurity agencies as priorities shift between operational execution and strategic policy formulation.
Ripple Effect: Additional Leadership Shifts Within CISA
The vacancy left by Casapulla triggered several ancillary leadership actions within CISA. Sean Haglund, associate director in the Office of Bombing Prevention, has been tapped to serve as acting deputy director of ISD, providing immediate continuity while a permanent deputy is sought. Chip Abernathy, who previously worked in CISA’s Office of the Chief of Staff, is moving to the National Risk Management Center (NRMC) as acting assistant director, where he will contribute to risk assessment and mitigation efforts across critical infrastructure domains. Furthermore, Nextgov/FCW reports that leadership decisions for CISA’s Strategy, Policy and Plans Office are expected to be announced in the coming days. These coordinated moves illustrate a broader realignment aimed at aligning talent with emerging priorities while the agency simultaneously ramps up its workforce.
Workforce Expansion and Strategic Planning
Concurrent with the leadership changes, CISA is embarking on a substantial workforce expansion effort, aiming to hire hundreds of employees over the next several months. This growth initiative is designed to bolster the agency’s capacity to address rising cyber threats, enhance critical infrastructure resilience, and support new programs stemming from recent legislative mandates. The expansion will likely affect multiple directorates, including ISD, where additional analysts, engineers, and program managers will be needed to conduct vulnerability assessments, develop protective tools, and coordinate with state, local, tribal, territorial, and private‑sector partners. As part of this push, CISA’s Strategy, Policy and Plans Office is finalizing its leadership structure to ensure that strategic guidance keeps pace with operational growth. The combined focus on personnel and leadership signals a proactive stance toward meeting the nation’s evolving security demands.
Profile of Scott Breor: Background and Experience
Scott Breor brings a distinguished record to his new ISD leadership role. A member of the Senior Executive Service, Breor’s career spans both military and civilian national security arenas. Prior to joining CISA, he served as a naval aviator, gaining operational experience in complex, high‑tempo environments. He later transitioned to a senior policy adviser position for the Chief of Naval Operations, where he focused on homeland security matters and helped shape maritime‑domain awareness strategies. At CISA, as associate director for security programs, Breor has overseen the creation of guidance, training materials, and technical resources aimed at soft‑target security, including protections for public gatherings and events. His blend of hands‑on operational insight and policy development expertise positions him well to steer ISD through a period of heightened threat activity and organizational change.
Mission of CISA’s Infrastructure Security Division
The Infrastructure Security Division (ISD) is the operational core of CISA’s critical infrastructure mission. ISD leads efforts to help secure and strengthen the resilience of the United States’ essential services and assets, working in close partnership with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial governments, and private‑sector owners and operators. The division conducts vulnerability and consequence assessments to identify weaknesses, evaluates potential impacts of disruptions, and recommends mitigation strategies. It also develops and disseminates best‑practice guides, tools, and training programs that enable stakeholders to harden their facilities against physical and cyber threats. By fostering collaboration across sectors and levels of government, ISD aims to create a unified defense posture that can adapt to emerging hazards, ranging from ransomware attacks to natural disasters and deliberate acts of violence.
Upcoming 2026 Homeland Security Summit: Focus Areas
Looking ahead, the 2026 Homeland Security Summit, scheduled for November 12, will serve as a prominent venue for discussing the very topics that intersect with Breor’s new responsibilities. The summit’s agenda will include sessions on artificial intelligence applications in threat detection, advances in cyber defense technologies, and broader DHS operational capabilities. Attendees will hear from experts across government, academia, and industry about how AI can be leveraged to predict and mitigate infrastructure vulnerabilities, while also examining the ethical and operational challenges posed by autonomous systems. Registration is now open, and organizers encourage participation from professionals involved in critical infrastructure protection, emergency management, and policy development. The event promises to provide firsthand perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the homeland security mission over the next several years.
Implications for National Critical Infrastructure Resilience
The confluence of leadership changes, workforce growth, and upcoming strategic dialogues positions CISA—and specifically its Infrastructure Security Division—to play an even more pivotal role in safeguarding the nation’s essential services. Breor’s appointment brings a fresh perspective grounded in both military operational experience and senior policy craftsmanship, which could prove valuable as ISD navigates the increasingly blurred lines between cyber and physical threats. The additional acting leaders ensure continuity while permanent placements are finalized, and the planned hiring surge will expand the analytic and technical capacity needed to conduct thorough assessments and deploy protective measures at scale. Meanwhile, the 2026 Homeland Security Summit will offer a timely platform to vet emerging technologies, share lessons learned, and align interagency strategies. Together, these developments suggest a proactive, adaptive approach aimed at enhancing the resilience and security of U.S. critical infrastructure in an era of evolving risk.