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The U.S. Senate confirmed Adam Cassady as ambassador-at-large for cyber and digital policy, filling a senior diplomatic cybersecurity role that had been vacant since the start of the current Trump administration. Cassady, confirmed on a 51-47 vote, becomes only the second person to hold the post after serving in a senior role at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and previously working at the Federal Communications Commission.
Cassady takes office as the State Department’s cyber apparatus undergoes a significant overhaul. The former Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy has been split into three entities, including a new Bureau of Emerging Threats, alongside reported staff reductions that have raised questions about his authority and scope of responsibility. During his confirmation process, Cassady emphasized cooperation with trusted international partners to support secure, resilient, and open digital ecosystems, while declining to take a firm position on advanced semiconductor export controls to China pending further review.
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The U.S. Senate confirmed Adam Cassady as ambassador-at-large for cyber and digital policy by a 51-47 vote as part of a larger nominees package. Cassady became only the second person to hold the post and is expected to lead the State Department's cyber and digital policy bureau under its revised structure.
Last month, Undersecretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that very few Nvidia H200 AI chips had been shipped to China and Hong Kong. His testimony indicated that such shipments were underway.
During his April confirmation hearing, Adam Cassady said the United States should work with trusted international partners on secure, resilient, and open digital ecosystems. He also declined to take a firm position on advanced semiconductor chip exports to China, saying he would study the issue further.
The Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy was formally launched under President Joe Biden. The bureau became the State Department unit traditionally led by the ambassador-at-large for cyber and digital policy.
The State Department reorganized the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, splitting it into three entities, creating a Bureau of Emerging Threats, and reducing staff. The changes introduced uncertainty about the scope of the cyber ambassador's responsibilities.
The ambassador-at-large post for cyber and digital policy became vacant when the inaugural cyber diplomat stepped down at the start of the Trump administration referenced in the articles. The vacancy persisted until Adam Cassady's confirmation.
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