John Costello Joins CNAS as Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Technology and National Security Program

Washington, February 18, 2021—The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce that John Costello, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intelligence and Security at the Department of Commerce, has joined CNAS as an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the Technology and National Security Program.

“We are excited to welcome John to the Center,” said Paul Scharre, Director of the CNAS Technology and National Security Program. “John brings a wealth of practice and policy expertise to CNAS and will be invaluable to our mission of understanding the rapidly expanding role of technology, particularly cybersecurity and digital intelligence, in national security.”

As the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intelligence and Security at the Department of Commerce, Mr. Costello established the Department’s intelligence analysis capability and led its information and communications technology and service supply-chain analytical and regulatory efforts. Previously, Mr. Costello served as a Senior Director and Lead for Task Force Two at the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where he led the Commission’s work on cybersecurity, resilience, and supply chain security. Prior to that, Mr. Costello served as the Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans and Senior Advisor to the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

In 2016, Mr. Costello was selected as a Congressional Innovation Fellow, serving on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. During his time on the Hill, Mr. Costello helped investigate the 2015 cyber breach of the Office of Personnel Management and helped oversee federal IT security. Mr. Costello has also worked as a private sector intelligence analyst and defense contractor.

Mr. Costello was an enlisted U.S. Navy sailor, serving his tours of duty at the National Security Agency as an intelligence analyst and operations officer. While at the National Security Agency, he specialized in foreign adversary cyber, electronic, and information warfare. Mr. Costello has a working professional proficiency in Chinese Mandarin, graduating with honors from the Defense Language Institute.

For more information or to request an interview with Mr. Costello, contact Cole Stevens at cstevens@cnas.org or call 202-695-8166.