Julia Dickson

Research Associate, Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program
Julia Dickson

Julia Dickson is a research associate for the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Her research interests include cybersecurity, cybercrime, and the role of technology in conflict. Prior to joining CSIS, she was awarded a Fulbright grant and spent a year teaching English in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. She was also previously a research assistant at the Wilson Center, an intern for the Conventional Defense Program at the Stimson Center, and a communications and outreach intern at the International Crisis Group. She holds a BA in international studies with a minor in French from Johns Hopkins University.

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A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War: Part 7: How the United States Can Win

A new era of cyber power needs a new way of thinking and new actions to back it up. This playbook offers a bold framework to reshape U.S. cyber policy, laying out concrete steps to close the gap between the United States and its adversaries in the cyber domain.

Report by Emily Harding, Julia Dickson, and Aosheng Pusztaszeri — September 4, 2025

A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War: Part 1: Executive Summary

The United States has been losing a cyber war it didn’t know it was fighting. To reverse this trend line and make full use of its strengths, Washington needs a new way of thinking about cyber conflict, national security tools, and the spectrum of war and peace.

Report by Emily Harding, Julia Dickson, and Aosheng Pusztaszeri — September 4, 2025

A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War: Part 2: Evaluating Russia’s Cyber Strategy

The principal goals driving Russia’s cyber strategy across the spectrum of conflict are clear: disruption, destruction, and control of information. Russia is a leader in cyber activity, and its cyber operations pose a serious threat to the United States and its allies.

Report by Julia Dickson and Emily Harding — September 4, 2025

A Playbook for Winning the Cyber War: Part 5: Evaluating U.S. Cyber Strategy

The United States is generally accepted as among the most effective offensive cyber actors on the planet. This offensive skill, however, is counterbalanced by a potentially deadly weakness: a huge attack surface and weak domestic defense.

Report by Emily Harding, Aosheng Pusztaszeri, and Julia Dickson — September 4, 2025

Audio Briefs

How a Cyber Alliance Took Down Russian Cybercrime

An audio version of “⁠How a Cyber Alliance Took Down Russian Cybercrime⁠,” 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 — July 28, 2025

Audio Briefs

How a Cyber Alliance Took Down Russian Cybercrime

A joint international operation just struck a blow against NoName057(16), a prolific Russian hacktivist group. But this win is just a momentary setback for a threat that continues to evolve. Lasting security demands deeper, broader international cooperation.

Commentary by Julia Dickson and Emily Harding — July 28, 2025

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