Press Release
from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Christopher (Chris) Krebs, former Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has been named a non-resident Senior Fellow with the Homeland Security Project and the Cyber Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
“Chris Krebs is not only a leading figure in election security and integrity, but he has also emerged as a leading voice for making the protection of our critical infrastructure and supply chain a homeland security priority,” said Homeland Security Project Faculty Director Juliette Kayyem. “He will be an invaluable asset to our students and the Belfer Center.”
Cyber Project Executive Director Lauren Zabierek said, "The Cyber Project is thrilled to welcome Chris Krebs as a joint Cyber-Homeland Security Senior Fellow. As a leading expert on cybersecurity, Chris will enrich the Project's research and policy recommendations, giving us even more reach and impact amid an ever-growing threat landscape. Connecting him with our students and fellows will also bolster interest in cybersecurity careers and ultimately serve to strengthen our national security."
“In this post-government phase of my life, I’m looking for opportunities to share a few of my experiences with the next generation of leaders, hopefully inspiring them to spend meaningful time in public service," Krebs said. "The Belfer Center provides an incredible venue to do just that, working alongside an internationally recognized team. I’m thankful to Secretary Carter and Eric Rosenbach for the opportunity and look forward to collaborating with Juliette and Lauren.”
As the first director of CISA (previously the National Protection and Programs Directorate - NPPD), Krebs was responsible for standing up the nation’s first risk management-focused civilian agency. Krebs was fired in November 2020 after CISA declared in a statement that the 2020 election was the most secure in America’s history.
Before becoming CISA Director, Krebs was Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and previously was Senior Counselor to the Secretary. Prior to joining DHS, he led Microsoft’s U.S. policy work on cybersecurity and technology risk issues.
Currently, Krebs and former Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos head a cybersecurity consultancy, the Krebs Stamos Group.
Krebs holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Contact: Sharon Wilke at sharon_wilke@hks.harvard.edu