One of the nation’s leading experts on cyber security, national security, public policy, and modernization in critical infrastructure.

Ms. Cofield is the Executive Director for ICIT. ICIT’s mission is to modernize, secure, and make resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT is a resource for organizations and communities that understand that people need to be at the center of critical infrastructure research and decision making, ensuring that modernization and security investments in critical infrastructure have a lasting, positive impact on society.

Prior to joining ICIT, Ms. Cofield served as the Chief Strategy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In that role she was the principal policy and strategic adviser to CISA leadership and senior management, integrating strategy across all the organization’s mission areas and ensuring policy, strategy, and operational consistency throughout the agency.

Prior to CISA, Ms. Cofield served in the FBI for 22 years in a variety of roles. She was Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) for the Cyber Capabilities Branch within the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Cyber Division where she led coordination and deployment of the division’s technical tools and capabilities, and oversaw cyber-related training, recruiting, hiring, and budgeting for the division. She also served in a senior executive role as chief of staff of the Science and Technology Branch and as a DAD of the Digital Transformation Office (DTO), where she engaged with interagency partners and other key stakeholders on policy issues related to current and emerging technologies and their impact on law enforcement.
 

In 2019, Ms. Cofield was selected as the FBI’s senior detail to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. This Congressional Commission was authorized through the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Its mission was to develop a national strategy for preventing cyberattacks of significant consequences. While on the Commission, Ms. Cofield was a Senior Director and Task Force Lead. The Commission completed its report in March of 2020 with over 80 recommendations, 25 of which have been enacted into law