Donald Trump picks up nominee to lead NSA, US Cyber Command

Donald Trump’s cyber adviser, Rob Joyce, announced the president’s pick Lt Gen Paul Nakasone in a tweet. Photo: Reuters

Washington: President Donald Trump has picked Lt Gen Paul Nakasone to be the next director of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command. Trump’s cyber adviser, Rob Joyce, announced the president’s pick in a tweet late on Wednesday, praising Nakasone for having a strong background in cyber issues.

If confirmed by the Senate, Nakasone would take on one of the nations top intelligence posts. He currently heads the US Army Cyber Command.

The NSA has suffered setbacks in recent years from leaks of classified material and US 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.