Lauryn Williams

Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Strategic Technologies Program
Lauryn Williams

Lauryn Williams is the deputy director and senior fellow in the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Until January 2025, she was chief of staff to the assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, where she spearheaded the release of the National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan. From 2022 to 2024, Lauryn was director for strategy in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director and led the strategic initiative on space system cybersecurity, which leveraged extensive government agency, industry, and international collaboration. This work resulted in the first-ever minimum cybersecurity requirements for federal space systems. Prior to the White House, Lauryn served as a policy advisor in the Pentagon space policy office and led efforts to leverage commercial space and develop norms of responsible behavior. She has also served in the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, where she led international export control projects, and worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Lauryn received her master’s degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University and her bachelor’s degree in political science, with honors in international security studies, from Stanford University.

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Audio Briefs

International Collaboration Took the United States Back to the Moon

An audio version of “⁠International Collaboration Took the United States Back to the Moon,⁠” a new commentary by CSIS’s Lauryn Williams. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.  

Podcast Episode by Lauryn Williams — April 17, 2026

Audio Briefs

International Collaboration Took the United States Back to the Moon

Artemis II was more than a U.S. mission—it was a global effort. The success of U.S. lunar exploration depends on sustaining international partnerships that provide essential capabilities, legitimacy, and long-term leadership in space.

Commentary by Lauryn Williams — April 17, 2026

Audio Briefs

Iran Conflict Heightens Cyber Threats to U.S. Energy Infrastructure

An audio version of “⁠Iran Conflict Heightens Cyber Threats to U.S. Energy Infrastructure⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS's Leslie Abrahams and Lauryn Williams. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Leslie Abrahams and Lauryn Williams — April 2, 2026

Audio Briefs

Iran Conflict Heightens Cyber Threats to U.S. Energy Infrastructure

As the Iran conflict intensifies, U.S. energy infrastructure faces escalating cyber threats from nation-state actors. Scale, age, and regulatory fragmentation leave the sector uniquely exposed. A successful attack would cascade across the entire U.S. economy.

Commentary by Leslie Abrahams and Lauryn Williams — April 2, 2026