Former Democratic staffer and cyber policy expert lands in DOD leadership
Mieke Eoyang, a former senior congressional aide, will be a top cyber policy leader at Department of Defense.
Eoyang tweeted Monday that she will be the deputy assistant secretary of Defense (DASD) for cyber policy, a high-ranking civilian position in setting security policy for DOD networks; strategizing, implementing and budgeting for the cyber needs of the military; and working with international partners on legal agreements.
The DASD position falls under the undersecretary of Defense for policy, a position former Obama administration senior adviser Colin Kahl has been nominated for. One of the biggest DOD leadership positions with a cybersecurity portfolios — the chief information officer — remains unfilled for now.
“Delighted to be joining @DeptofDefense! … Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication everyone!” Eoyang tweeted Monday.
She worked for several Democratic lawmakers, including as a defense policy adviser to Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts as well as Rep. Anna Eshoo, who represents key parts of Silicon Valley. She also served as a senior staffer on congressional committees and has been a commentator on MSNBC.
Since leaving Capitol Hill, she worked at the “center-left” think tank Third Way on defense and cybersecurity matters.
