Emily Harding

Vice President, Defense and Security Department; Director, Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program
Emily Harding

Emily Harding is director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology (INT) Program and vice president of the Defense and Security Department (DSD) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As the head of the INT Program, Harding provides thought leadership on the most critical issues facing intelligence professionals and on the future of intelligence work. In her capacity as vice president of DSD, she is responsible for leading a team of world-renowned scholars providing policy solutions that shape national security. Drawing on her decades of experience in national security, Harding has established herself as an expert on how technology is revolutionizing national security work. She has also served in a series of high-profile national security positions at critical moments. While serving as deputy staff director on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, she led the committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, which was lauded for its bipartisanship. At the Central Intelligence Agency, she led analysts and analytic programs through moments of crisis, including shepherding the Iraq Group during the attempted Islamic State takeover. During a tour at the National Security Council, she served as director for Iran. After leaving the White House, her team ran the first Office of the Director of National Intelligence–led presidential transition, where she was responsible for briefing the incoming administration. Harding is an adjunct lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, BBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and other outlets. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

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Russia’s War in Ukraine and the Prospects for Peace

Three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war continues to rage. But peace negotiations have now begun. How has the war evolved? And what are the prospects for peace? Join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a virtual discussion on the state of the conflict.

Event — February 24, 2025

The First Step for Making Government More Efficient: Fix Cyber Budgets

Washington is at a pivot point on how government does business. That pivot must be away from old, buggy, patchworked IT and toward a modern IT system that is secure and ready for the AI revolution. The first step in the change will be to upend how the government funds IT.

Commentary by Julia Dickson and Emily Harding — February 13, 2025

Audio Briefs

The First Step for Making Government More Efficient: Fix Cyber Budgets

An audio version of “The First Step for Making Government More Efficient: Fix Cyber Budgets,” a new commentary by CSIS's Julia Dickson and Emily Harding. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Julia Dickson and Emily Harding — February 13, 2025

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

Putin Thinks He Can Win: Why Would He Negotiate?

An audio version of “Putin Thinks He Can Win: Why Would He Negotiate?,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Emily Harding and Aosheng Pusztaszeri. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Emily Harding and Aosheng Pusztaszeri — December 19, 2024

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

Winning the Peace Means Winning the Information War

An audio version of “Winning the Peace Means Winning the Information War,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Emily Harding and Julia Dickson. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Emily Harding and Julia Dickson — December 19, 2024

Audio Briefs

The Aftermath of October 7: Regional Conflict in the Middle East

This timeline tracks the big picture ebb and flow of the conflict and highlights how Israel initially focused its efforts in Gaza before gradually shifting resources toward Lebanon by September 2024. 

Commentary by Aosheng Pusztaszeri and Emily Harding — December 19, 2024

Winning the Peace Means Winning the Information War

Negotiations for peace in Ukraine will face a storm of zeros and ones. Critics and bots will stir anger on social media, amplifying extremes of the debate. Zelenskyy should see this as a distraction and remain focused.

Commentary by Emily Harding and Julia Dickson — December 11, 2024

Alternative Funding Mechanisms in Review

DOD’s new Office of Strategic Capital will work to ensure that the future warfighter has the capabilities they need by attracting and scaling private capital to critical technologies for national security, with the advantages and risks of a portfolio investment approach.

Report by Erin L. Murphy, Cynthia Cook, Emily Harding, Gregory Sanders, Nicholas Velazquez, Julia Dickson, and Maeve Sockwell — November 21, 2024