Debora Plunkett, Director, Information Assurance Directorate, NSA

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Debora Plunkett, Director, Information Assurance Directorate, NSA

Debora Plunkett serves as director of the Information Assurance Directorate at the National Security Agency. IAD protects national security information and info...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

June 12, 2012 5:35 pm

2 min read

Debora Plunkett serves as director of the Information Assurance Directorate at the National Security Agency. IAD protects national security information and information systems.

From August 2008 to May 2010, Plunkett served as the deputy director of Information Assurance. She has also served in various leadership positions in the Signals Intelligence Directorate – including the job of assistant deputy director for customer relationships, in which she was responsible for guiding the development and implementation of strategic direction; and a position in which she managed production and requirements for Signals Intelligence (SIGINT).

SIGINT is intelligence that’s derived from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets. SIGINT provides a vital window for our nation into foreign adversaries’ capabilities, actions, and intentions.

Plunkett has also served as a director on the National Security Council at the White House. On the Council, she led the development and coordination of national policy on critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity issues.

Plunkett graduated from Towson University in 1981 with a B.S. in natural science. In 1999, she received an M.S. degree in business administration from Johns Hopkins University. She is a 2002 graduate of the National War College, where she was awarded an M.S. degree in national security strategy. Plunkett completed the Executive Development Seminar in 1998, the IC EXCEL Seminar in 2004, the IC Intelligence Fellows Program in August 2005, and the Harvard Law School Program in Conflict Management and Negotiations in 2009.

Plunkett earned certification as a traffic analyst in 1987 and in 1993 she was certified as a senior member of the Intelligence Analysis Technical Track. In 1995, she was awarded an NSA Graduate Fellowship, which she used to pursue advanced studies in management at Johns Hopkins University. She completed the Senior Leadership Development Program at NSA in 2001, and was elevated to senior executive status that year. In 2007, Plunkett was awarded the rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Cryptologic Executive Service by the President of the United States.

A native of Baltimore, Md., Plunkett enjoys genealogy, sports, reading, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Roger, live in Ellicott City, Md., and have a son and a daughter.