A famed hacker and former Twitter employee who alleged widespread security deficiencies at the company is joining the Biden administration via a job with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The whistleblower, Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, will be joining in a part-time position at the agency, CISA announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.
CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement she is excited to have the “legendary security researcher, CISO, and visionary,” of Zatko join the team to help CISA carry out its plans to urge a “fundamental cultural shift” that places cybersecurity accountability with technology vendors rather than customers.
“I’m thrilled to announce that Peiter ‘Mudge’ Zatko has joined team CISA! Mudge joins us in a part-time capacity to help us collaboratively shape a culture of security by design that is foundational to every security team, every C-suite, and every board room in the country,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement.
Zatko said he is “honored to formally return to public service and work with CISA.”
“Cybersecurity has been the mechanism through which I have had impact. Through this I have devoted my life to moving the field forward by way of transparency, education, and innovation. I have endeavored to do this irrespective of being in the public sector, private sector, non-profit, through technical contributions, or in executive and leadership positions. I look forward to continuing my mission to serve everyone the best I can,” Zatko said in a statement.
Last year, Zatko released a complaint alleging Twitter, now known as X, has major security deficiencies and did not comply with a 2011 consent decree from the Federal Trade Commission. Zatko later testified in September at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about his allegations
Twitter pushed back on the allegations at the time and accused them of being “riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies.”