History of Chris Krebs in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: January 18, 2025

Christopher Cox Krebs is an American attorney who served as the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security. His tenure lasted from November 2018 to November 17, 2020. Krebs was ultimately dismissed from his position by President Donald Trump following the 2020 presidential election. The dismissal stemmed from Krebs' public contradiction of Trump's claims regarding widespread election fraud. Krebs maintained that the 2020 election was secure, directly refuting the President's allegations. This public disagreement led to his termination.

1977: Birth of Chris Krebs

Chris Krebs was born in 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia.

1999: Graduation from University of Virginia

Chris Krebs graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences in 1999.

2007: Graduation from George Mason University School of Law

In 2007, Chris Krebs earned a Juris Doctor degree from the George Mason University School of Law.

March 2017: Appointment as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security

In March 2017, Chris Krebs began serving as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

August 2017: Appointment as Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection

In August 2017, Chris Krebs was appointed as the Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection.

June 15, 2018: Confirmation as Under Secretary of Homeland Security

On June 15, 2018, Chris Krebs was officially confirmed as the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs.

November 2018: Appointment as CISA Director

Chris Krebs was appointed as the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in November 2018. This marked a significant step in his career within the Department of Homeland Security.

November 2018: CISA Established, Krebs as Director

In November 2018, The National Protection and Programs Directorate was replaced by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Krebs became its first director.

November 12, 2020: Anticipation of Dismissal and Disinformation Efforts

On November 12, 2020, reports emerged suggesting that Chris Krebs anticipated being fired from his role as CISA Director. This was partly due to his involvement in a CISA website aimed at debunking election-related disinformation.

November 17, 2020: Dismissal from CISA

On November 17, 2020, Chris Krebs was fired from his position as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) by President Donald Trump, due to Krebs's public contradiction of Trump's claims of election fraud.

December 8, 2020: Krebs Files Lawsuit

On December 8, 2020, Chris Krebs filed a lawsuit against Joseph diGenova, the Trump campaign, and Newsmax TV citing defamation and other offenses relating to false accusations surrounding the 2020 election and resulting threats.

January 10, 2021: Krebs Suggests Trump's Resignation

On January 10, 2021, following the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Chris Krebs publicly suggested that President Trump should resign.

2021: Krebs Stamos Group Formation

In 2021, Chris Krebs and Alex Stamos, former Facebook CISO, co-founded Krebs Stamos Group, a cybersecurity consultancy firm. Their first client was SolarWinds.