Aaron Hughes joins Defense Department as deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy

On July 15, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced the appointment of Aaron Hughes as deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy.

Aaron Hughes is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy.  In this position he oversees the development and implementation of cyber policies, strategies, and plans which guide the Department’s efforts in cyberspace.

Prior to his appointment in May 2015, Mr. Hughes was the Vice President of Intelligence Community Support at the strategic investment firm In-Q-Tel.  In this role he led the company’s engagement with the Intelligence Community and assisted in the formulation of investment priorities and technology identification for In-Q-Tel’s partners.  Earlier in his tenure with the company Mr. Hughes held a variety technical and operations related roles focused on the identification, evaluation, and transition of innovative technologies for the intelligence community as well as account leadership for the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Department of Homeland Security.

Prior to joining In-Q-Tel in 2008, Mr. Hughes was a Manager at the consulting firm PRTM (since acquired by PwC), where he developed business and technology focused strategies for public and private sector customers.  Early in his career he held software and network engineering roles with Lockheed Martin and AppNet Systems.

Mr. Hughes is an active member of the Maryland Air National Guard where he currently serves as the Director of Mission Integration for the 175th Cyber Operations Group in the Maryland Air National Guard. He is also a certified mission commander in one of three ANG tasked National Mission Teams in the Cyber Mission Force.

Mr. Hughes received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science Degree in Telecommunications and Computers from George Washington University, and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Source: Department of Defense