Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Aspen Institute
Blog Posts
Introducing the Cyber Civil Defense Emerging Leaders
Aspen Digital is proud to announce the launch of the Cyber Civil Defense (CCD) Emerging Leaders pilot program. Over the coming months, an inaugural cohort of early-career direct service cybersecurity professionals will join the Aspen Digital team for a series of virtual sessions on cyber policy, led by our network of experts.
Our Emerging Leaders are experts in areas ranging from tactical threat response to cybercrime prosecutions, and are committed to translating their technical expertise to shaping effective, forward-looking cyber policy.
From July through October 2025, the Cyber Civil Defense Emerging Leaders will:
Learn about the federal policymaking process through guided learning sessions, individual research, and writing workshops
Connect with our network of experts and practitioners in cybersecurity and technology policy
Develop tools to engage with policymakers on critical infrastructure resiliency
Pilot participants were selected from a diverse group of emerging leaders in cybersecurity from across the United States. Their selection reflects not only their achievements to date as cybersecurity professionals but also their potential to shape the future of cyber civil defense in meaningful and lasting ways.
