DNI Clapper announces leadership of Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center

By Loren Blinde January 10, 2016

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On January 7, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence posted the following announcement:

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper today announced the leadership of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC). Director Tonya Ugoretz will lead the center, with Deputy Maurice (Mo) Bland and Research Director Thomas (Tom) Donahue rounding out the leadership team.

Last February, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the DNI to establish the CTIIC, which received congressional authorization and funding in the December omnibus bill.

CTIIC will fuse intelligence and “connect the dots” regarding malicious foreign cyber threats to the nation so that relevant departments and agencies and policymakers are aware of these threats in as close to real time as possible.

“CTIIC will lead integrated community analysis of our cyber adversaries and support interagency efforts to develop whole-of-government opportunities against cyber threats,” Director Clapper said. “It will build understanding of cyber threats to inform government-wide decision-making.”

Similar to ODNI’s other mission centers—such as the National Counterproliferation Center and the National Counterintelligence and Security Center—CTIIC integrates an interagency team singularly focused on its core missions, including: providing integrated all-source analysis of foreign cyber threats and cyber incidents affecting U.S. national interests; helping ensure that the U.S. government has access to the latest integrated intelligence on cyber threats; and facilitating and supporting efforts by the government to counter these foreign cyber threats.

CTIIC will assume its role as a cornerstone of the government’s cybersecurity capabilities by allowing the government to unify intelligence in support of network defense and law enforcement efforts to better address the most pressing cyber threats to our nation in support of the Administration’s strategic cybersecurity goals of raising our cyber defenses, disrupting adversary activity, and effectively responding to cyber incidents.

“I am confident this capable team will work seamlessly with intelligence community and federal partners to integrate intelligence on foreign cyber threat capabilities and activities, and I look forward to working with them over the coming year,” Director Clapper said.

Additional Information about CTIIC Leadership:

Director Tonya Ugoretz is a career FBI intelligence analyst with experience integrating the law enforcement and intelligence communities, including assignments with CIA, DHS, and the National Intelligence Council. Throughout her career, Tonya has focused on analytic support to decision-makers, first as a counterterrorism analyst, and later in the Senior Executive Service as the FBI’s Chief Intelligence Officer, where she oversaw the Bureau’s Senior National Intelligence Officers and intelligence support to the FBI Director. Her experience leading in multiagency environments and developing new analytic components will serve her well in this position.

Deputy Director Maurice Bland is a career intelligence professional with more than 25 years of service, including his most recent assignment as NSA Associate Deputy Director for Cyber. He retired as a colonel from the Army after three tours of duty with NSA and two combat tours in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Bland is a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service.

Research Director Thomas Donahue is a member of the Senior Intelligence Service at CIA, where he has worked for nearly 30 years. He has served as the Chief Editor of the President’s Daily Brief and other CIA daily production, and he has spent the last 16 years focused on cyber threats as a manager and senior analyst in the Information Operations Center. He served four years at the White House, most recently as the senior director for cyber operations for the National Security Council staff. He has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT.