Who Is Tom Bossert, Trump’s Homeland Security Adviser?

Tom Bossert, the Homeland Security Adviser for President Donald Trump, took the podium Friday to give an update on Hurricane Irma and the recovery process in Texas. He cautioned about how dangerous Irma could be.

Irma “has taken lives already. It's going to take more, unfortunately, if we're not prepared,” Bossert said.

As far as how Florida will fare in the storm, he said it would be “the worst case scenario is if it dips down, moves west and curls around the other side of the state.”

Three counties in southern Florida were told to evacuate, and Bossert urged people in those zones to heed the warning. “At some point, people at going to be on their own, so to speak,” the Homeland Security adviser said. It could take 72 hours for help to reach people. Floridians should expect to be without water and power for days.

For those who don’t know, Bossert has a background in cybersecurity.

“He's an experienced and thoughtful security professional,” Stewart Baker, a Washington lawyer who worked with Bosser, told Bank Info Security in December 2016. “His appointment is a good sign for how seriously the Trump administration will take homeland security. His recent experience in cybersecurity issues is also strong, so I expect him to take the threat of cyberespionage and cyberattacks seriously.”

When Trump first appointed him, Bossert said he wanted the new administration to create a cybersecurity document that “reflects the wisdom of free markets, private competition and the important but limited role of government in establishing and enforcing the rule of law, honoring the rights of personal property, the benefits of free and fair trade and the fundamental principles of liberty.” He added: “The internet is a U.S. invention; it should reflect these U.S. values as it continues to transform the future for all nations and all generations.”

Bossert worked in the George W. Bush administration as deputy Homeland Security adviser. Trump touted Bossert’s accomplishments when he appointed him in December 2016.

“Tom brings enormous depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to protecting the homeland to our senior White House team,” the president said in a statement. “He has a handle on the complexity of homeland security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity challenges. He will be an invaluable asset to our Administration.”

Hurricane Irma blasted through the Caribbean, killing at 11 least people. More than 1 million people in Puerto Rico were left without power and 95 percent of the buildings in Barbuda were decimated. At its highest strength, Irma, which is reportedly the size of France, has maximum winds of 185 mph and was a Category 5. The storm was downgraded to a Category 4 storm Friday and had winds that swirled at 155 mph.

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella