Chris Krebs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Krebs
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Official portrait, 2018
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| 1st Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency | |
| In office November 16, 2018 – November 17, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Matthew Travis |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Brandon Wales (acting) |
| Under Secretary of Homeland Security for the National Protection and Programs Directorate | |
| In office June 15, 2018 – November 15, 2018 Acting: July 24, 2017 – June 15, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Matthew Travis |
| Preceded by | Suzanne Spaulding |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Infrastructure Protection | |
| In office August 1, 2017 – June 15, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Caitlin Durkovich |
| Succeeded by | Brian Harrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christopher Cox Krebs
January 30, 1977 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | University of Virginia (BA) George Mason University (JD) |
Christopher Cox Krebs (born 1977) is an American lawyer. He was the first Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This agency is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. He led CISA from November 2018 until November 17, 2020. President Donald Trump removed him from his role. This happened after Krebs disagreed with Trump's claims about the 2020 United States presidential election. Krebs stated that the election was secure.
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Early Life and Schooling
Krebs was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977. He went to the University of Virginia. In 1999, he earned a bachelor's degree in environmental sciences. Later, he studied law at the George Mason University School of Law. He received his law degree in 2007.
Chris Krebs's Career
Chris Krebs has spent his career focusing on cybersecurity. This means protecting computer systems and networks from attacks. He also worked on managing risks related to technology.
He served as a Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Protection at the Department of Homeland Security. After that, he worked for Microsoft. At Microsoft, he was the Director for Cybersecurity Policy.
In March 2017, he became a Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. In August 2017, he was named Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection. He then became the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs.
In November 2018, a new agency was created. It was called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This agency replaced the National Protection and Programs Directorate. Krebs became the first director of CISA.
Leaving His Role in 2020
As the director of CISA, Krebs was in charge of keeping the 2020 presidential election safe. The election took place on November 3, 2020. Some people made claims about election fraud. Krebs said these claims were "nonsense" and a "hoax."
CISA even made a website to correct false information about the election. Much of this false information came from President Donald Trump and his supporters. On November 17, 2020, Krebs posted on social media. He said that many election security experts agreed that fraud claims were not true.
Later that same day, President Trump fired Krebs. Trump said Krebs's statements about the election were "highly inaccurate." However, Trump did not provide proof of fraud.
After being fired, a lawyer for the Trump campaign made strong threats against Krebs. Krebs responded in an article for The Washington Post. He said he would not be scared away from telling the truth. In April 2021, the lawyer apologized to Krebs for his comments.
In April 2025, during his second presidency, Donald Trump signed an order. This order removed security clearances for Krebs and another security expert, Miles Taylor. It also ordered investigations into their work. Some of Krebs's former co-workers said this order was a "personal vendetta." Krebs also said he lost his Global Entry status. He believed this was also a result of actions by the Trump administration.
Working in Cybersecurity Companies
After leaving his government job, Krebs started a cybersecurity company. In early 2021, he formed Krebs Stamos Group with Alex Stamos. This company helps other businesses with their cybersecurity. One of their first clients was SolarWinds.
In late 2023, another company called SentinelOne bought Krebs Stamos Group. Krebs stayed with SentinelOne as their chief intelligence and public policy officer. He left SentinelOne in April 2025.
Helping with Social Media Safety
In October 2022, Krebs joined a project called the Council for Responsible Social Media. This project was started by Issue One. Its goal is to deal with the negative effects of social media in the United States. These effects can impact mental health, public health, and how people participate in society.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Krebs para niños
