Brian M. Mazanec

An adjunct faculty member in the Schar School of Policy and Government, Brian M. Mazanec was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence, Security, and Information Management at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2023.  Prior to that, he was director of the Defense Capabilities and Management team in the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). In that role, he was responsible for co-leading the strategic warfare and intelligence portfolio, and led multiple teams evaluating a variety of national security programs and activities related to emerging warfare issues; intelligence community management; security and counterintelligence; sensitive activities and programs; personnel vetting; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and space policy and operations.

His research interests focus on cyber conflict. Mazanec is the author of the book, The Evolution of Cyber War: International Norms for Emerging-Technology Weapons (University of Nebraska Press, 2015); coauthor of Deterring Cyber Warfare: Bolstering Strategic Stability in Cyberspace (Palgrave McMillan, 2014); and Understanding Cyber Warfare: Politics, Policy and Strategy (1st edition graduate textbook, Routledge, 2018), as well as coeditor of Information Warfare in the Age of Cyber Conflict (Routledge, 2020).

Mazanec holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Richmond, and a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies from Missouri State University. He earned his doctoral degree from the Schar School.