Hon. Harry Coker

The Honorable Harry Coker Jr was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the National Cyber Director in the White House, serving from December 2023 - January 2025.  Director Coker is a retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive, former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive and career Naval Officer.

As National Cyber Director, Coker’s priorities included strengthening federal coherence and collaboration in cyberspace; implementing America’s National Cybersecurity Strategy; developing a robust cyber workforce; advancing cyber regulatory harmonization; and building Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) and State, Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTT) cybersecurity capability and capacity.

Prior to his position at the White House, Coker served as the President of the Central Intelligence Retirees Association (CIRA) and on the Boards of Directors of the US Naval Academy Foundation; the US Navy Memorial; and Dog Tag, Inc.  Coker also served as an Operating Partner with C5 Capital; an Outside Director for JSI Telecom, Inc; on the Strategic Advisory Committee for Octasic, Inc.; on the Editorial Board of Studies in Intelligence; and on the Advisory Boards of Zeeam Government Solutions; and Historic Ships in Baltimore.  Additionally, Coker served as a Senior Fellow with Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.  He also served on the Presidential Transition Team for the then-incoming Biden Administration.

In his previous government assignment, Coker served as the Executive Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) where he directly supported NSA’s Director and Deputy Director in the strategic and day-to-day leadership of the Agency. Coker’s service to the Nation and NSA was recognized with the awarding of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the NSA Director’s Distinguished Service Medal, and the Intelligence Community EEOD Outstanding Leadership Award.

During his service with the CIA, Coker was assigned to leadership positions in the Directorate of Digital Innovation; the Directorate of Science & Technology; and the Director’s Area. Key assignments included service as Director of the Open Source Enterprise, which is responsible for leveraging publicly available information; and as Deputy Director of CIA’s Office of Public Affairs, which is responsible for the Agency’s internal and external communications and media relations. Coker was also a member of the small, hand-selected team of senior officers that architected the Agency’s organizational construct and operating model. He also had a key role in formulating and executing the Diversity in Leadership Study; and served on the Executive Diversity & Inclusion Council. Coker’s leadership and contributions earned him the Presidential Rank Award and CIA’s Don Cryer Award for Diversity & Inclusion leadership.

Coker is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the Naval Postgraduate School, and Georgetown University Law Center.