Suzanne Spaulding is senior adviser for homeland security and director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She also serves as a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Previously, she served as undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she led the National Protection and Programs Directorate, now called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), managing a $3 billion budget and a workforce of 18,000 that is charged with strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election infrastructure. Ms. Spaulding has worked in the executive branch in Republican and Democratic administrations and on both sides of the aisle in Congress. She was general counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and minority staff director for the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She also spent six years at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she was assistant general counsel and the legal adviser to the director’s Nonproliferation Center. She was executive director of two congressionally created commissions, on weapons of mass destruction and on terrorism. Following the attacks of 9/11, Ms. Spaulding worked with key critical infrastructure sectors as they reviewed their security posture and advised the CEOs of the Business Roundtable. In 2002, she was appointed by Governor Mark Warner of Virginia to the Secure Commonwealth Panel to advise the governor and the legislature regarding preparedness issues. She was managing partner of the Harbour Group, a principal in the Bingham Consulting Group, and of counsel to Bingham McCutchen LLP. In addition to her work at CSIS, Ms. Spaulding currently serves on a number of corporate boards and advisory boards and is a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group (HSEG).
Media Queries
- H. Andrew Schwartz
- Chief Communications Officer
- 202.775.3242
- aschwartz@csis.org
- Samuel Cestari
- Media Relations Coordinator, External Relations
- 202.775.7317
- scestari@csis.org
In the News
CTA Webinar - Don’t Get Zapped: Taking the Volt Typhoon Threat Seriously
Suzanne Spaulding in Cyber Threat Alliance — March 14, 2024
Former cyber officials weigh in on Volt Typhoon threats to critical infrastructure
Suzanne Spaulding in Inside Cybersecurity — March 12, 2024
The President Must Move Swiftly to Nominate New National Cyber Director
Suzanne Spaulding in The Cipher Brief — May 17, 2023
Biden’s democracy summit 2.0: Ukraine war spurs globalized format
Suzanne Spaulding and Marti Flacks in The Christian Science Monitor — March 29, 2023
The Biden administration has a new cybersecurity strategy. Now comes the hard part.
Suzanne Spaulding in The Washington Post — March 3, 2023
Cyber Report Suzanne Spaulding on Securing Elections
Suzanne Spaulding in Defense and Aerospace Report — November 9, 2022
DHS policy leader Silvers says next Cyber Safety Review Board effort is in the works
Suzanne Spaulding in Inside Cyber Security — October 31, 2022
U.S. officials eye a complex web of election cybersecurity threats
Suzanne Spaulding in Axios — October 25, 2022
All Suzanne Spaulding Content
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The 2022 Defense and Security Outlook
Podcast Episode by Christine Brazeau, Rose Butchart, Catrina Doxsee, Devi Nair, Suzanne Spaulding, and Makena Young — January 13, 2022
Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022: Same Challenges Ahead?
Podcast Episode by Suzanne Spaulding, Katherine E. Bliss, and Marti Flacks — December 15, 2021
Transportation Cybersecurity: Protecting Planes, Trains, and Pipelines from Cyber Threats
Congressional Testimony by Suzanne Spaulding — October 26, 2021
Establishing a Cybersecure North America
Event — October 4, 2021
Civics as a National Security Imperative: A Conversation with Secretary Bob Gates
Event — September 21, 2021
Civics at Work: Constitution Day Training for Federal Employees
Critical Questions by Suzanne Spaulding and Devi Nair — September 9, 2021
Future Strategy Forum: Emerging Technologies and Statecraft
Podcast Episode by Beverly Kirk and Suzanne Spaulding — June 30, 2021
Civics as a National Security Imperative: A Conversation with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Event — May 5, 2021
Civics as a National Security Imperative: A Conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil M. Gorsuch
Event — April 14, 2021
Understanding the DHS Cyber Mission
Event — April 7, 2021