President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum revoking any active security clearance held by former CISA chief Chris Krebs and ordering an immediate review of the cybersecurity agency’s conduct during Krebs’ tenure.
The order directs federal agencies to terminate any active security clearances held by Krebs and to suspend clearances held by individuals affiliated with entities associated with him, including the cybersecurity company SentinelOne, pending a national interest review.
Krebs, who led CISA from its creation in 2018 until he was fired by Trump in November 2020, had publicly rejected claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, calling it “the most secure in American history.”
After his firing, Krebs was a founding-partner in the Krebs Stamos Group, which was later acquired by SentinelOne. He currently serves as Chief Intelligence and Public Policy Officer and President of PinnacleOne, SentinelOne’s strategic advisory group.
The Trump memorandum also orders a comprehensive evaluation of CISA’s activities over the past six years, including a probe into whether Krebs’ leadership or agency actions violated federal employee conduct standards or involved the unauthorized dissemination of classified material.
The White House memo also alleges that during his time in government, Krebs engaged in activities that it claims were inconsistent with the administration’s policies on free speech and government neutrality.
On the X social media platform late Wednesday night, Krebs responded by re-upping a November 2020 tweet that reads: “Honored to serve. We did it right. Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow. #Protect2020.”
On Thursday, SentinelOne issued a brief statement saying it will “actively cooperate in any review of security clearances held by any of our personnel.”
The company said less than 10 employees overall would be affected “only where required by existing government processes and procedures to secure government systems.”
“We do not expect this to materially impact our business in any way,” SentinelOne added.
“We view the White House as a crucial collaborator on that mission, and we will continue to support a strong America at a time of heightened geopolitical threats. Our team’s focus remains on being a force for good in this industry and the world. We will continue to nurture our partnerships in the U.S. government, military, and intelligence community and collaborate in our shared mission to defend U.S. critical infrastructure in cyberspace as we always have,” the company added.
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