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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The Truth of the Matter

Emergency Podcast: Israeli Strike on Iran

CSIS’ Seth Jones, Emily Harding and Ben Jensen join the podcast to discuss Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, leadership and other targets.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz, Seth G. Jones, Emily Harding, and Benjamin Jensen — June 13, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter

Strategic Trends 2025: A Trans-Atlantic Look Ahead

Please join CSIS for a conversation about Strategic Trends 2025: Key Developments in Global Affairs, a new report by the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich on shifting partnerships, conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, and the role of critical technologies in great power competition.

Event — May 12, 2025

Audio Briefs

Investing in Ukraine: Folly or Wisdom?

An audio version of “⁠⁠Investing in Ukraine: Folly or Wisdom?⁠⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS's Emily Harding. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Emily Harding — May 2, 2025

Audio Briefs

Investing in Ukraine: Folly or Wisdom?

Supporting Ukraine now is one of the best investments the U.S. can make this century. It unlocks major business opportunities for U.S. companies, invests in cutting-edge innovation, and deters further aggression from China and Russia against U.S. allies.

Commentary by Emily Harding — May 2, 2025

The Truth of the Matter

A Drone and Ground View From Ukraine

CSIS’ Emily Harding joins the podcast to discuss observations from her recent visit to Ukraine including drone warfare, the state of the battlefield, U.S. and European support as well as the mining deal forged by President Trump and President Zelensky.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Emily Harding — May 2, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter

What Happened at the Trump Administration’s Annual Threat Assessment Hearing?

At the worldwide threats hearings, the Trump administration’s top intelligence officials named illicit drug actors, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as top threats to the United States. But questions about the Signal chat largely overshadowed the hearings.

Commentary by Emily Harding and Julia Dickson — March 27, 2025