Bruce McConnell

On June 1, 2009 Bruce McConnell was appointed by Secretary Janet Napolitano to serve as Senior Counselor in the National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. McConnell serves as senior advisor on a host of strategic and policy matters related to NPPD and its components, with a particular focus on cybersecurity.

In May 2010, McConnell was tasked with leading the NPPD Cyber + Strategy Team. Under his leadership, McConnell’s Cyber + Strategy Team is responsible for developing the overall cybersecurity strategy for DHS, aligned with the national strategy developed by the White House National Security Staff.

McConnell’s Cyber + Strategy Team is leading implementation of select high-priority, Administration initiatives, such as the National Strategy for Secure Online Transactions, the National Cybersecurity Public Awareness Campaign, the development of new cyber security authorities for DHS, and the coordination of cyber-related activities across DHS.

Prior to DHS McConnell served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, working on a variety of open government and technology issues. From 2000-2008 he created, built, and sold McConnell International and Government Futures, boutique consultancies that provided strategic and tactical advice in technology, business and government markets. Previously, McConnell was Director of the International Y2K Cooperation Center, where he coordinated regional and global critical information technology infrastructure organizations to promote information sharing and joint action, from 1999-2000.

McConnell was Chief of Information Policy and Technology in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 1993-1999, where he led the government-industry team that reformed U.S. encryption export policy, created an information security strategy for government agencies, redirected government technology procurement and management along commercial lines, and extended the presumption of open government information onto the Internet.

McConnell received an M.P.A. from the University of Washington and a B.S. from Stanford University.