Gen. Timothy Haugh, director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command, was fired Thursday, according to two current and one former U.S. official. Haugh’s civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, was also removed from her position, the officials said.
Noble has been reassigned to a role within the Pentagon’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. The NSA operates as part of this department.
Haugh took on his dual role just over a year ago, succeeding retired General Paul M. Nakasone. His tenure included hosting Trump adviser and U.S. DOGE Service head Elon Musk at the NSA’s Fort Meade headquarters last month — Musk’s first known visit to a U.S. intelligence agency.
Lt. Gen. William J. Hartman, formerly Cyber Command deputy, has been named acting NSA director, according to one of the officials. Sheila Thomas, previously the executive director at the NSA, was appointed acting deputy.
A seasoned cyber professional, Haugh has served in the military for more than 30 years. His career highlights include leading Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force, responsible for offensive cyber military operations overseas, and commanding the 16th Air Force in San Antonio.
Haugh also co-led the “Russia Small Group,” a collaborative effort between Cyber Command and the NSA aimed at safeguarding the 2018 midterm elections from Russian interference. As part of this initiative, he directed offensive operations targeting Russian trolls and spearheaded actions to publicly expose Russian spy agency malware. He also oversaw “Hunt Forward” missions aimed at removing Russian intelligence from Eastern European government networks.
